No Work and All Play
by wolfgrl1423
Summary: AU Kagome hasn't been having the best of days lately. Her boss is a jerk, her ex won't leave her alone, and she just found out that they have some sort of past that makes them the only ones capable of defeating an old foe. Life sure can stress a girl out.
1. Ack! Zombies!

_Woo! First try at Kagome/Sesshomaru. Hope everyone likes it! =)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own, rent, or borrow Inuyasha or any of it's characters! That's Rumiko Takahashi's job! _

(Divider)

Pressing the button for the fifth floor in the gold encrusted elevator, Kagome waited patiently for it to reach her floor. Kagome had been a little lost at first, but given that she had never been inside the InuTashio Corp. building before, she figured she had a good excuse. The little man at the entrance had been slightly angered at her questions as to where Mr. Tashio's office was, but in the end told her.

A bing sounded and Kagome waited anxiously for the twin gold doors to open, and after a moment they did. The tiled floors, tinted lights, and plain white walls that Kagome saw when she got to the fifth floor reminded her of a hospital hallway rather than a company one.

_Oh wonderful, there's no one up here. I should just turn around now, _Kagome thought at the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. The hallway seemed to be the perfect set for a B-rated horror film. _All there needs to be now is for some man-eating zombie creature to waltz out of one of the offices and we'll be all set._

"Hello Ms. Higurashi!" a voice called and Kagome visibly jumped before holding her hands in front of her while she coward away from the direction the voice had come from. "Ah! Don't eat me zombie!" she shrieked and was met with silence.

"Um...are you alright Ms. Higurashi?" the voice asked, this time toning down the volume to a near whisper. Kagome blinked before peeping up at the person standing a few feet away from her. A tall woman stood in front of her with wide eyes set in confusion and a traditional black suit jacket and matching skirt hugging her body. Her dark brown hair traveled down her back and Kagome saw that it was held loosely by a ponytail that was resting at the side of her hip.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief before standing up straight and awkwardly laughing before scratching the back of her head. "Um...sorry about that. I'm really nervous," Kagome admitted, and was glad when the woman smiled at her, understanding glittering in the dark brown depths of her eyes.

"You don't need to be nervous," the secretary advised before making her way over to her and extending her arm, "My name is Sango Kito, it's a pleasure to meet you," she added warmly and Kagome hurriedly took her outstretched hand and squeezed it firmly; remembering the tip that in doing so, it made for a good first impression. _By Gods, but I need to make a good impression after that little scene!_

"My name is Kagome Higurashi," Kagome hurriedly replied only after realizing that she hadn't given her name when they shook hands. _Good going Kagome!_ Her mind screamed sarcastically at her. Sango smiled at her once again before replying, "I know, Mr. Tashio told me of your arrival. He wants to make sure that I show you to your office and help you get settled,"

"Oh, that's so thoughtful," Kagome noted, more to herself than anything, but Sango seemed to have heard her and nodded in agreement. "I only wish he were that nice all the time," she muttered.

"What?" Kagome asked, going completely on edge. All she needed was to find out that her boss was a jerk, and her first day hopes were dashed from the pretty scenario that had played over and over again in her head all that morning.

She would meet her boss, who would be an older man with soft eyes and a little bit of a gut but a heart of gold that made him instantly likable. He would be welcoming and show her the ropes and then take her out to lunch as a way of introducing himself to her. Now _that_ would be the perfect first day.

"Oh, nothing!" Sango reassured almost immediately with a bright smile. Kagome didn't miss that it was also slightly forced. "Oh...OK," Kagome replied rather uneasily.

"I'll take you to your office now!" Sango informed her a little more energetically than was necessary. Kagome could only assume it was due to the fact that she wanted to change the subject from her little confession about their boss.

Kagome inwardly sighed as she tried to keep what little excitement _hadn't_ escaped from Sango's comment fluttering through her body. She was determined to like it here, well, at least for a couple of years. Once she built up a good reputation with the company she could transfer out without a problem.

"Is this your first professional job, Ms. Higurashi?" Sango asked curiously. When she turned her head sideways to look back at her, Kagome nodded her head. Sango smiled at her and nodded back in understanding.

"This was the first place I started at, too. I'm Mr. Tashio's personal secretary, well I was until I was transfered to his son once he was ready to inherit the company," Sango replied and Kagome saw her nose twitch slightly in distaste at the mention of Mr. Tashio's son. _So I missed the perfect job by __**that**__ much_ Kagome thought with a grimace. If only she had studied harder and taken summer classes like her mom had suggested! Maybe then her first day would've been _that_ much better.

"What was Mr. Tashio like?" Kagome asked, figuring that he was the owner of the company, given that the name of it was InuTashio Corp.

"He has a very loud voice, but is a very endearing man. He was what made working here bearable. He still comes in every now and then to visit with the staff and to make sure his son has everything under control, but that's about it," Sango responded and a small smile passed her lips for a brief moment. Kagome watched as Sango seemed to suddenly be in another world, another time, for the briefest of moments before she blinked and was thrown back into the present.

They walked down the rest of the hallway in silence before Sango stopped in front of a door that Kagome noted had her name printed on it. A black plaque was slipped into a notch on the door that read _Ms. Higurashi_ in bright gold cursive.

Sango turned to her with another smile before nodding to the door. "Here's your office, Ms. Higurashi. If you need anything, my desk is back by the elevator. Also, if you need to speak with Mr. Tashio his office is at the end of the hall," Sango explained before pointing towards the direction she spoke of. Kagome followed her finger to see a tinted glass door with a gold knob nestled against the corner of the adjacent white walls.

"Thank you so much for your help," Kagome stated and gave her a quick bow of thanks before turning to look at her door. The door was made of dark brown mahogany wood that looked almost real rather than a wood substitute, but Kagome couldn't be sure. The tinted light from the top of the hallway hit the wood and made it seem to oddly sparkle in the light and Kagome couldn't help but admire the door for what seemed like minutes. Suddenly realizing that she couldn't just stand out of her door like an idiot, she grabbed hold of the knob before twisting it and pushing it open.

Glancing behind her shoulder, Kagome noted that Sango had disappeared. Most likely she had gone back to her desk, and Kagome realized she was standing alone in the hallway. At least no one was there to witness her strange stare down with her door. She then took a step into her office, only to be amazed with what she saw inside.

A long wooden table that matched the color and type as her door was placed smack dab in the middle of the room with a leather black spinning chair situated behind it. A black, very thin laptop (most likely a new edition) sat atop her desk. The floor was decorated with a dark blue rug that looked like the perfect material to walk barefoot on.

Kagome turned her attention to the walls and noted that they too were pure white, _obviously Mr. Tashio likes white _Kagome thought idly as she looked slightly downwards to see a large wooden bookcase staring back at her. It had to be nearly six feet tall, and compared to her five foot status, that was _gigantic_. Kagome also noted that there was a twin situated at the opposite side of the room.

Unable to help herself she walked over to the nearest one on her left and skimmed through the titles of the books shelved there. _10 Steps to Business Success, Accounting and Accessibilities of the Economy, Accounting Ethics_, and the list went on and on.

Kagome couldn't help but find that all the books shelved for her sounded like a bore to read. Did Mr. Tashio really think she'd find these books entertaining? They might be good for research, but that was really it. In hopes to find something a little more exciting, Kagome walked over to the twin bookcase and searched through titles, but nothing caught her eye. They all seemed like more of the same books she had seen on the other side of the room.

Heaving a sigh Kagome was about to give up on her dreams of her first job being all it was cracked up to be when a loud car horn caught her attention. She looked towards the edge of her office to see a large window overlooking the city. It was as large as the walls themselves and Kagome was surprised she hadn't noticed it first.

Making her way over to it, she looked down to spot civilians rustling around and cars speeding through traffic. Though the city was always loud and sometimes a pain to navigate through, Kagome realized how beautiful it was to just _observe_ it from above. All the signs of life and busy bodies made Kagome see the city of Tokyo in a new light and rather enjoyed that her office held this view for her.

Tearing her gaze away from an attractive male brunette she had been eying running across the street, Kagome sank in her leather chair before whirling around to face her laptop. A bright yellow screen was up had a dark red "Welcome! We're Happy to Have You on Our Team!" banner stretched across it. Kagome scrolled down a little to see another message that informed her the laptop was hers to keep.

A wide smile spread across her face and she couldn't help the little giggle of excitement that escaped from her lips at the news. She had needed a new laptop too! _Maybe the tide is turning, and I will get that perfect first day I've been dreaming of _Kagome thought happily and scrolled down further to see that she had assignments already lined up for her.

_Well that isn't too bad, now I won't need to find the boss and ask him_ Kagome thought optimistically, _and all I need to do is call these numbers and make sure the money InuTashio Corp sent is being used correctly_ she added. She reached for her phone and was about to dial the first number when the sound of a distressed scream filled the hallway. _Oh God, I knew there was something off about this place! Please, please don't let it be Zombies! _

Kagome took a deep breath before getting up from her chair and slowly making her way towards the door to brave a peek outside. But right before she got to her door it was pushed open wide and a little body ran inside before latching onto Kagome's stomach. She blinked twice in surprise before looking down to see a full head of brown hair and looked even lower to see the back of a bright pink dress. _At least she isn't covered in blood_ Kagome thought with an inwardly sigh of relief.

"Are you OK?" Kagome asked as she gently placed a hand atop the girl's head. She didn't respond, but continued to hang onto her waist and nestled her head even closer to her stomach, as if she could burrow herself inside her and hide there. Kagome opened her mouth to ask where her parents were when someone else's voice cut her off.

"There you are Rin! You insufferable child! Why don't you listen to me?" a woman's voice yelled out as a woman entered her office with a dark scowl on her lips and wearing a _very_ tight pink tank top. Her legs also looked suffocated by a pair of skinny jeans accompanied by a tall pair of black heels. Kagome knew it was rude to stare, but when women wore clothes _that_ tight it was hard to look away. When Kagome finally got over the shock that women _do_ indeed wear clothes like that, she looked up at the woman's face to find that she was very beautiful.

Her eyes were a dark color, funny, they almost looked red, but that couldn't be possible. It was probably a trick of the light that made them seem that way. Coating her eyelids was a dark magenta eye shadow along with black eye linear and when she blinked Kagome saw that her eyelashes almost looked drenched in mascara. Her lips, currently pursed, were painted with dark red lipstick. Her dark black hair was held up in a high bun by beautifully jeweled barrettes and pins. Obviously this woman was wealthy, or just had a wealthy husband.

"Are you her mother?" Kagome asked and noted the woman shiver, as if in disgust.

"Hardly, the girl looks nothing like me. I would've assumed _you _could put two and two together," she commented with a light laugh, though the laugh had a sarcastic tone to it. Kagome glared at the woman and felt the need to punch her right in her pretty little face.

"Rin, come here now," the woman ordered and pointed one manicured finger down at the spot next to her feet. Kagome turned to look down at the girl and didn't feel her pull away or loosen her hold around her waist. When the little girl, Rin she guessed, didn't move after a couple of seconds the woman repeated the order.

This time Rin did move, but she didn't move towards the woman, rather she shivered against Kagome's stomach. Kagome realized then that the poor thing was shivering in _fear. Rin is __**scared **__of this woman_ Kagome thought almost sadly. No child should be frightened of their parents, or sitter or whoever this woman was to Rin. Kagome wound a protective arm around her head and felt Rin's shivering stopped before the girl gave out a slight sigh of relief, as if happy that Kagome had embraced her.

"Please Lady, just push her over here and we'll get out of your hair," the woman coaxed, seeming to think she could get Kagome to do her bidding when Rin wouldn't. Kagome ground her teeth angrily while she tried to keep her cool. How could such a beautiful woman be so...cruel? It was obvious Rin didn't like her, so why allow her to be in charge of her?

"Kagura, where is Rin?" a masculine voice asked from the hallway. _Her Father _Kagome thought,_ it had to be_. Kagome felt the girl perk up slightly and looked down to see that the girl had lifted her head from her stomach and was looking back as if summoned towards the direction of that voice. _At least she seems to like this one_ Kagome thought and felt rather relieved that the girl wasn't completely left alone with someone who was cruel to her. _Although,_ Kagome thought while grinding her teeth, _I should give this man a talking to about how to raise his child. It's obvious he has __**no**__ idea how to raise her._

The man in question soon showed himself as he walked into her office. Kagome felt all the words she had prepared to yell at him slip away as she took him in. He was..._pretty_. That's all that she could think of when she took in his long silvery hair and gold tinted eyes as he gave her a once over, obviously trying to recognize her. His pale skin (which only seemed paler due to his black suit jacket) was also something that seemed almost feminine about him, his skin looked _perfectly_ pale. Kagome wondered at that moment if he could possibly be a vampire. _That would end well._

_Hey I don't know you all that well...but are you a vampire?_

_Um...no? _

_Oh alrighty then, nice meeting you! Here's your little girl back! _

"You must be the new employee, Ms. Higurashi," the man stated and it brought Kagome out of her thoughts as she focused her attention back to the pretty boy. She nodded mutely and he looked downward slightly and Kagome would've been offended at his straying eye if she hadn't remembered that there was a little girl still latched onto her person. She turned her gaze back to the little girl and saw that she had downcast her eyes and didn't seem able to look up at her father.

"You should get a new sitter," Kagome blurted out all of the sudden, and quickly regretted her words when the beautiful woman (now next to pretty boy) sent her a glare with her piercing red eyes. Kagome was sure of it now, they were as red as blood. The fact in itself sent a shiver of unknowing through Kagome's spine. The man stared down his nose at her before responding.

"Since when do you find it appropriate to advise your boss on what to do?" he asked back.

_Crap. Think fast Kagome!_

"Since it looks like your little girl is so frightened of her sitter that she'd run into the arms of a total stranger!" Kagome fought back and inwardly smirked when she saw the man's stoic expression change to slight surprise before he seemed to gain control of his emotions and reverted back to his emotionless expression.

"I am the one who decides who watches over my child. You may not interfere," he informed her icily, a spark of warning glowing in those golden depths. Kagome knew when to shut her mouth, and now seemed like the right time.

Though she didn't know how long she could hold her tongue when Rin's sitter sent her a smug smirk, an I-know-I-was-right-all-along-and-you-should-have-just-done-what-I-said smirk. Again the urge to punch her pretty face in rose inside her chest and Kagome flexed her fingers a little as if getting ready to deliver the blow.

Of course, punching one of her boss's staff members in the face wouldn't make the _best_ first impression, even if she _did_ deserve it.

"Forgive me Mr. Tashio. I was merely sharing an opinion, not an order," Kagome apologized as graciously as she could. She heard her boss grunt slightly, but somehow it sounded dignified, if that were possible, and the steady sound of footsteps trailing out of her office.

Seconds later the clicking of heels in hot pursuit sounded and Kagome stood up straight again to find that they had disappeared. All except the little girl, Rin, who slowly let go of Kagome and took an uneasy step back.

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly, so softly that Kagome almost didn't hear her. Her eyes softened and she bent down to Rin's eye level before lightly touching her head.

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault for raising my voice towards your father. If you ever want to run away from your sitter again, my office is always open," Kagome smiled and it widened when Rin returned it with one of her own. "It'll be our little secret," Kagome promised and pressed her index finger against her lips, signifying the emphasis on secret. Rin's smile widened and she nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm so happy I ran into your office," she stated sheepishly, "Kagura hates me, and I hate her too. But Daddy seems to like her and I wish she'd just go away. All she wants is my Daddy's money," Rin added, her voice a little stronger than before.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Your Daddy is probably blind to that fact," Kagome replied knowingly and Rin nodded in agreement.

"Rin!" Kagura's shrill voice screamed from the hallway and Rin hastily turned towards that voice.

"You better go, I don't want to get you into any more trouble," Kagome stated and Rin nodded before hurrying out of her office, but stopped at the doorway.

"I'll be back," she whispered before disappearing into the hallway. Kagome smiled slightly at her promise before turning back towards her desk and collapsing in her leather chair. _What a day_ she thought as she rubbed her hands over her face to clear her thoughts, _at least there hadn't been any zombies_.

(Divider)


	2. Rin's curiosity leads to new beginnings

_Infuriating, insufferable woman _those angered thoughts kept circulating through Sesshomaru's mind as he walked back to his office. How _dare_ she question his ability in choosing a sitter for his Rin?_It's obvious she has no idea who I am, and what I'm capable of _he thought, trying to sooth the anger that was boiling under the cool mask of his usual stoic expression.

It didn't help that Kagura was hanging onto his arm, practically cutting off all circulation. If she gripped him any harder he was going to snap her arms off. The thought sounded very attractive the closer they got to his office. _Just a little further, then I can pull down the blinds and kill her without anyone noticing. No one will miss her _his mind whirled as the thoughts kept egging him on and making it seem like there couldn't possibly be an down side to killing Kagura.

Of course he could never allow his mind to control him, he had a reputation to keep, and he wouldn't endanger it for the fleeting moment of bliss he felt after a kill. Trying to keep his mind busy, and off the idea of killing Kagura, he noticed that Rin wasn't walking beside him like she usually did. The little girl's absence was enough to make Sesshomaru whirl on his heel and head back towards the new employee's office. _Ms. Higurashi, was it? She obviously doesn't understand just who I am at all._

"Rin!" Kagura called into the hallway and Sesshomaru turned towards Kagura in mild surprise at her guessing why he was heading back. Of course it was a somewhat obvious situation, the only reason he would _ever_ return to an employee's office would be for Rin. Seconds ticked by without an answer, and Sesshomaru was about to barge into Ms. Higurashi's office when Rin popped out of her office doorway and made her way over to them.

He was about to comment on her disobedience when he noted the light in her eyes and the skip in her step. _It has been so long since I've seen another make Rin that happy_ he thought idly and couldn't help it when his eyes drifted towards Ms. Higurashi's door. _I'll allow this one incident to slide...for now,_ he thought icily.

"You disobedient girl! How dare you not listen to Sesshomaru or I?" Kagura growled at her and Sesshomaru's eyes hardened when he saw the joy leave Rin's face and tears prick those cinnamon colored eyes.

"That's enough, Kagura," Sesshomaru ordered and Kagura stared at him in shock before she seemed to collect herself and gave him a smile. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru," she cooed, "but I was only thinking that she needs to learn to listen to her betters and not disobey so openly," Kagura added with a suggestive smirk.

"You are not Rin's "better," and you are to call me Mr. Tashio only. We are not on friendly terms," Sesshomaru replied, the slight anger in his voice instantly shutting off Kagura's playful mood. _Good_ he thought, _maybe now I won't have to kill her._

He turned his disapproving glare from Kagura's still shocked face to Rin and noted that she still seemed on the verge of tears. Ms. Higurashi's words rang in his head and Sesshomaru lowered his eyes from Rin's face in slight guilt for not acknowledging Rin's displeasure with Kagura.

True, he had known the two females despised each other, but he had assumed Rin could still find enjoyment in her time with Kagura somehow. The little girl always seemed to find enjoyment in everything she did. But that he was blind to her fear of the woman angered Sesshomaru deeply. Never would Rin be subjected to fear again, not after she had lived most of her young life that way.

Not voicing his actions he knelt down next to Rin and gently scooped her up in his arms to hold her bridal style against his chest. She seemed slightly surprised by his actions, but melted against him and he cradled her head with his shoulder.

Her tiny hands grabbed a hold of his suit and she buried her head in his chest, an action he had learned meant she wished to hide from the world and all its inhabitants. He adverted his eyes from her cradled form and continued to walk towards his office. He noted out of the corner of his eye that Kagura wasn't following, but rather was glaring at them as if angered by the display. _Peace_ Sesshomaru thought somewhat happily as he relished in the idea that Kagura would stand there for the remainder of the day and leave him be.

A moment later, the sound of clicking heels dashed his hopes of any kind of peace and he braced himself when Kagura made it to his side.

"You shouldn't carry her around like that, you'll spoil her," Kagura stated in disgust before glaring down at Rin's balled form. Sesshomaru tightened his hold around her protectively before sending Kagura a warning glare.

"You are no longer needed, Kagura. I will see you back at the house," Sesshomaru stated and enjoyed, probably much more than he should, the shock that passed over Kagura's face before fury set in. He knew she hated being ordered around, especially if it meant that she couldn't be with him. He was aware of the obvious games she liked to play to get his attention.

"Wouldn't Rin just get in your way if I'm not here to watch her?" Kagura asked and made sure to pout seductively, the expression showing off her features that her make-up emphasized.

"You have already proven useless in that department. Now go before I decide to fire you," Sesshomaru threatened and Kagura glared at him before whirling on her heel and heading in the opposite direction. He didn't miss the way she swung her hips more than she usually did, _she's trying to make me regret my decision,_ Sesshomaru thought but ignored her petty attempt at trying to change his mind.

His attention reverted back to Rin as he let out an inward sigh, it seemed that no one was good enough to match her high standards. He envisioned all the women that had come flocking to his door when he had posted a need for a babysitter in the local paper. There had been so many willing, and yet Rin detested all of them. None seemed to make her happy, and he had a sneaky suspicion that it was due to their humanity.

Rin never seemed to like the company of humans. She never liked it at the day-care he tried to send her to or any of the children that surrounded her everyday. So he had tried out his theory with a demoness by hiring Kagura, in hopes that that had been the problem. But even Kagura wasn't good enough for Rin, in fact she blatantly feared the woman. _At least she notices Rin_ he thought with a solemn grimace.

Most of the women didn't even acknowledge Rin's presence whenever he was around. Another fact that could've contributed to the little girl's dislike of her various babysitters. He assumed that all this attention he received from women was due to the fact that he looked "exotic" compared to other men, and he was sure his money didn't help matters much either.

His thoughts ceased when he appeared in front of his office door. Grabbing hold of the golden knob, he twisted it lightly before pushing the door open. The glass door swung wide open as he set Rin down and went to sit in his chair behind his desk. Rin stared after him for a moment before plopping down on the floor and began pulling on the strings that stuck out of his rug. He would've made her cease her actions if only her saddened face from moments before didn't enter his mind.

"Rin," he called stoically. The little girl continued to pull on the strings for a moment before bringing her gaze up to his.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly, seeming ready to do whatever it was he wanted. His gaze softened slightly at her allegiance to him before it reverted back to his usual expression of neutrality.

"Do you wish to watch me work?" he asked, though felt slightly guilty for asking when he saw the little girl's shoulders slump, her excitement rapidly fading out of her dark eyes.

"I'll only get in your way," she murmured quietly, and had he been human he might not have heard her. "No you wouldn't," he retorted, slightly surprised that she would take Kagura's words to heart. She kept her gaze on the floor and gave him a slight shrug, seeming to not care either way.

"If I won't be entertaining to you, would you like to go explore the company halls? You always seem to enjoy that," Sesshomaru tried, and smirked slightly when the girl's eyes widened with glee and she jumped to her feet.

"Yeah! I'm gonna explore the company," she repeatedly chanted while she danced in place, the excitement he had seen earlier had returned in full force.

"Let me call Jaken to watch over you," he stated, giving himself an invisible pat on the back for returning the girl's happiness once again. Just as he picked up the phone her little parade stopped and she let out an exasperated groan.

"Not him!" she exclaimed, but he merely rose a brow at her while listening to the rings on the other side of the line.

"Hello?" Jaken's scratchy voice greeted over the line. "Hello Jaken," he greeted in return and heard the little man squeak in surprise before replying, "Oh! Sir! Please forgive my rude greeting! What can I do for you?" he asked obdiently.

"Come up to watch over Rin, she wishes to explore the halls," Sesshomaru ordered and heard the man gulp on the other line. "But sir, that isn't my job. If there's any business transactions or phone calls needed to be made I'll be happy to-"

"I do not care if it isn't your job to watch her. I am your boss and you will do as I say," Sesshomaru cut in, and if his voice had been his claws it would be dripping poison.

'"Y-Yes sir!" Jaken exclaimed, "I'll be up in mere moments!" he added enthusiastically just as Sesshomaru hung up his phone. While he waited for Jaken's appearance, Sesshomaru doted on the fact that he was such a faithful employee. If only all his employees were so loyal.

(Divider)

"Rin! Rin! RIN! Stop running around! If I lose you again Sesshomaru will most definitely kill me this time!" Jaken yelled as he tried to keep up with Rin's longer strides. Though Rin was only seven she was slightly taller than Jaken who by any standards, demon or human, was a very tiny being. Rin always enjoyed using that fact to her advantage. It wasn't all the time that Rin found someone she could outrun.

"Daddy said I could whatever I want, and I intend to," Rin replied as she outstretched her arms like airplane wings as she continued to outrun Jaken.

"Don't think you aren't on a leash girl! If you were able to do anything you wanted to, he wouldn't have sent me to watch over you," Jaken pointed out before slowing his pace to catch his breath. Rin slowed down as well and crossed her arms over her chest before sticking her tongue out at Jaken, who merely growled at her from his crouched position.

"I know what he said, and I'll do what I want. Don't think I won't!" she exclaimed before making a mad dash down the hallway. "You little-" Jaken growled, "how I wish Sesshomaru would just trade you in for a pet, than I could put a leash around it and tie it to my desk," he added between huffs.

"I heard that!" Rin exclaimed hotly before sending him the darkest glare she could muster. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work, for Jaken just stood and ran towards her. She was about to start running again when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning slightly to the right, she spotted raven hair before seeing a woman's face. _It's that woman, the one from before!_ Rin thought excitedly.

The raven haired woman turned towards her doorway and suddenly spotted her as well. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before they softened and she gave her a little warm smile. Rin watched as she got up from her desk and walked around it to approach the door.

"Hello again," she stated and Rin nodded in greeting, "are you running from your babysitter again?" she asked with a laughing twinkle in her eye.

"No, now I'm running from Jaken. He's my dad's personal assistant," Rin replied and the woman let out a chiming laugh before opening her door wider.

"I'll hide you," she winked and Rin's smile widened at her little joke before she hurried inside. The woman made sure to close the door behind her. A moment later she heard Jaken calling for her in the hallway, but pointedly ignored the man's calls and turned her attention back to the nice raven haired woman.

"I don't know if we've been properly introduced. My name is Kagome Higurashi, what's yours?" the woman, Kagome, asked. "Rin Tashio," she replied a little shyly. She wasn't used to introducing herself to others. The only people she ever really knew were those who already _knew_ her, such as Sesshomaru and his parents along with his half-brother Inuyasha. Of course, Jaken knew her too, but she ignored that fact. _He's a meanie anyway,_ she thought pointedly.

"It's nice to meet you, Rin Tashio," Kagome stated with a friendly smile before extending her hand. Rin stared at it for a moment in confusion. What did she want her to do with her hand?

"Just shake it," Kagome helped, "it's the formal way of introducing yourself to someone," Rin nodded and grabbed her hand tightly before giving it one hard shake. Kagome let out a laugh when she let go and smiled down at her, "What a firm handshake! You'll be a wonderful businesswoman," she commented and Rin couldn't help but blush slightly at her statement. _I could be_ _just like Daddy someday!_ She thought with a smile.

"Would you like to watch some videos with me on my laptop?" Kagome asked kindly, inclining her head towards her desk. Rin was about to answer when she looked to the ground and bit her lower lip, "I'll keep you from your work," she murmured as she lightly kicked the ground with her foot.

"No you won't, I finished all my work already," Kagome replied and made her way over to her desk before sitting down on her leather chair. Rin took a moment to sweep her eyes around her office. It was a lot smaller than her dad's office, not to mention that everything in it didn't look as nice or as expensive. The books were outdated, the rug looked slightly used and even her laptop wasn't as slick as her dad's.

"My dad's office is bigger," she commented, but instantly regretted it when she saw Kagome's face fall slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to be mean," she replied immediately. Kagome's smile returned and she nodded to her. "Don't worry about it. Since your dad is the owner of the company it's only right that his office is bigger than mine," she answered.

Rin inched slowly towards Kagome, still unsure if she could trust her. She had been nice enough to stick up for her when Kagura had been mean, but she still didn't know her all that well. Would she yell at her like Kagura did? Rin only assumed that she'd have to take a chance and find out.

"I'll be heading home by the time you get to my chair," Kagome teased and Rin's head shot up in surprise. _So she wants me to hurry does she?_ Rin thought with a competitive smirk. Running as fast as she could she jumped onto Kagome's lap and grabbed hold of her arms to steady herself.

"Was that fast enough?" she asked and her smirk widened when she noted the look of surprise on Kagome's face before she threw her head back and laughed.

"You're alright, kid," she stated once her laughs had started to die down. Rin grinned up at her before letting her arms go and settling more comfortably in her lap while Kagome started typing things into her laptop.

She started looking up things on a website called You Tube. Rin had never heard of such a site before, and was amazed at what they watched. Everyday people were dancing around and singing like they were in a movie, but they weren't! The concept confused Rin and she wondered how these people got their video up on this site.

Time seemed to pass by so quickly that Rin didn't even notice how long she had been in Kagome's office until she felt her father's demonic aura fill the hallway. She stiffened slightly before slumping in embarrassment. She must've been with Kagome for a long time if her father was coming to find her.

She felt his aura stop in front of Kagome's door and saw him stand there for a moment with a dark scowl. _Oh no, he's going to kill her! _Rin thought in fear. Her father was fiercely protective of her and had killed others for far less, so she wouldn't put it past him to kill Kagome now. She knew that look on her father's face, he only looked like that if he was going to kill something.

Thinking on her feet, Rin quickly turned around and gave Kagome a tight hug. She felt her tense slightly before she returned the hug with a light laugh. "Thank you," Rin murmured in her ear before pulling away and sliding off her lap. Kagome watched her for a moment before looking up and gave out a gasp of surprise when she noticed Sesshomaru standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Tashio," she breathed and Rin felt bad when she noted the fear in Kagome's voice. Trying to remedy the situation, Rin pulled a smile and skipped over to her father. His eyes transferred from Kagome to her just as she stopped in front of him.

"Daddy! We had a lot of fun! We watched You Tube videos, I want to watch some more!" Rin exclaimed as happily as she could without it being overbearing. His eyes softened slightly before he extended his hand and Rin quickly slid her hand in his larger one.

"Ms. Higurashi," he called towards Kagome. Rin flinched slightly at the strict tone of his voice, the only time he ever used that voice was when he was very cross about something. Guilt worried Rin's heart as she looked to the floor, feeling that it was her fault that Kagome was in trouble, again.

"Though I thank you for finding and watching over my daughter, you will not do so again. What do I pay you for?" he added, the strictness in his voice never wavering. Rin looked up to catch Kagome's reaction, but only saw what looked like mild shock on her face.

"To watch over transactions and make sure they run smoothly," Kagome muttered and Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod. "It's just that, well, she was running around the hallway and no one was around so I thought I'd watch her until someone came to retrieve her," Kagome added desperately. Rin was surprised and touched that Kagome didn't rat her out about running from Jaken. What confused her was why she would take all the blame, no human she had ever met was so kind.

"Yes Daddy," Rin agreed and made sure to squeeze his hand to get his attention, "Ms. Higurashi _is_ really nice, and I had a lot of fun with her," Rin tried, but didn't see his expression falter. His gaze reverted back to Kagome and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her before speaking.

"You will not watch over my daughter again. Leave her to me or her babysitter," he ordered and Rin saw Kagome gulp in fear before she nodded her head. Without a goodbye, Sesshomaru gently pulled on Rin's hand and they left Kagome's office in silence.

(Divider)


	3. Hello, boss? We need to talk

"I can't believe he could just...say something like that!" Kagome muttered under her breath as she continued to pace around her office. _It wasn't like I did anything to her, and she wasn't upset or injured,_ Kagome thought as she tried to find reasons why her boss would be so angry with her. Her mind whirled with speculations and assumptions when she collapsed on her chair to catch her breath. _It isn't fair! I wanted to make a great first impression and nothing is going my way today!_ She exclaimed in her thoughts as she ran her hands over her face in dismay.

"What did who say?" a familiar voice asked as Sango popped her head into Kagome's office. The secretary looked around the room for a moment before adding, "wow, your office is nice,"

"Thanks, and it was Mr. Tashio. He was just in here complaining about me watching over his daughter. I saw her in the halls and invited her in. She seemed to like me, so I don't know what the problem was," Kagome replied and Sango gave her a little shrug. "He's cold to everyone, and is a little overprotective of his daughter. That's just the way he seems to be," she replied.

"I didn't notice," Kagome mumbled sarcastically under her breath. Sango gave her a sympathetic smile, "He'll warm up to you in time. His daughter always runs around the hallways here, so I'm sure you'll see more of her. She's the only creature on the planet that gets a smile out of him, so I'm sure he was worried what your intentions were when you two were together," Sango answered. _The only one he ever smiles to?_ Kagome thought, _I had no idea he was that cold, I wonder how Rin puts up with him._

"My intentions?" Kagome asked, using the words that Sango mentioned, "I was watching her until someone came to get her! That's it!" she added exasperatedly. "Maybe you should tell _him_ that," Sango advised before giving her a friendly wave and turned to walk away.

Once Sango was gone Kagome stomped her foot on the ground in anger before counting to ten. _One, Two, that jerk! Three, Four, how DARE he judge me as untrustworthy! Five, Six, pull it together Kagome. Seven, Eight, he is your boss and you have to listen to what he says. Nine, Ten, I'll gonna give him a piece of my mind for this! _

Kagome let out a breath and tried her hardest to calm herself down. Her counting to ten solution didn't seem to work for her, though it had in the past. _"It isn't your job to,"_ that's what he had said, well not what he _actually_ said, but what he had insinuated.

But she hadn't done it for her job, she had done it for Rin. After the display of fear of her babysitter, Kagome couldn't help the pang that her gentle heart felt for the little girl. When she saw her again she had been extra friendly to show Rin that not all women were so mean, some were really quite nice. 

Suddenly another thought hit her, what if he had thought she was manipulating him? Using his daughter to get to him and better her chances of advancement. _Well a bigger check would be nice...but I would never stoop so low,_ Kagome thought to herself. Manipulation was never an intelligent way to solve a problem, while it could be fun in a joking manner, it was _never_ a good idea.

"Maybe I should tell him my intentions," Kagome stated before feeling the anger begin to boil inside her again. _How DARE he assume that I was manipulating him?_ "I think it's time to talk to Mr. Tashio," Kagome stated angrily as she stood up from her chair and stomped out into the hallway.

(Divider)

The golden knob of Mr. Tashio's door stared back at Kagome as she began to get cold feet about confronting him. Her right hand hovered over the knob and she felt cold sweat begin to coat her forehead as she thought over the pros and cons of going in.

_Pros: correct misunderstanding, get feelings across, make him see me in a new light. _

_Cons: anger him further, ruin the first impression I'm trying to salvage, get fired._

It seemed like the cons beat out the pros and Kagome was about to retract her hand when she heard a voice call out to her. "Come in, Ms. Higurashi," Mr. Tashio voice beckoned from within the office. Kagome gulped and knew that there was no backing out now that he knew she was there. That got her wondering how he was able to tell it was her outside in the first place. _I suppose the glass door helps,_ she thought with a grimace, _he's probably sitting right in front of it_.

"Ms. Higurashi," he called again, this time a little louder. Kagome quieted her fears as she grabbed the knob and twisted it before pushing the door open. At first glance Kagome realized that Rin was right, her dad's office was _way_ bigger than hers. Everything in it seemed to be bigger, better, and sleeker than the things in hers. _He is the boss, so I suppose it's only right that he __**has**__ all this stuff...show off._

"Mr. Tashio...I...uh...wanted to speak with you," Kagome was able to get out after scouting his room. She also didn't miss how nervous her voice sounded, and neither did he. One thin silver eyebrow rose in question before he looked her up and down, seeming to size her up.

Kagome couldn't help but begin to fidget under his watchful gaze. She tugged at her black skirt and began straightening out her suit jacket and the white shirt underneath. She would've thought that he was checking her out, until he inclined his chin and advert his eyes, as if she was not "worthy" of his gaze.

"What did you wish to talk about?" he asked, his gaze still adverted. "Well, maybe if you looked at me I'd tell you!" Kagome snapped before biting her lip and cursing her short temper. His eyes shot back to her form with a glare and Kagome didn't miss the slight warning in those golden depths. She suddenly felt like she had just walked into a very well populated lion's den.

"I wanted to talk about earlier," Kagome continued, "it was unfair of you to judge me as an untrustworthy person,"

"When did I judge you as untrustworthy, Ms. Higurashi?" he asked back and Kagome felt her anger cool, only to be replaced with confusion. _Crap. Don't tell __**me **__I misunderstood __**him**__! _Kagome thought in a panic as she tried to keep her expression as calm as possible.

"When you told me off in my office about watching over your daughter. I was only entertaining her until someone came to get her. I was only looking out for _her_, and I got scrutinized for it! This is my first day here and she was very welcoming and kind, she's a wonderful girl. It isn't my fault that you can't tell the difference between someone manipulating you or doing something good for you!" Kagome burst out and narrowed her gaze at him to match the disapproving one that he had on now.

Once she finished his expression changed to mild disbelief before he turned towards his laptop and started typing, as if dismissing her. Kagome felt her mouth gap open in shock before collecting herself and balling her hands into fists. "That's it? You aren't going to say anything back?" she asked angrily.

"I didn't judge you as untrustworthy Ms. Higurashi. I said those things to you so you wouldn't think I was taking advantage of _you_. Obviously working full-time and having to look after a seven year old girl is not in your job description," he pointed out, and it was Kagome's turn to stare in disbelief. Holding in her need to blush profusely, Kagome cleared her throat and looked at Mr. Tashio. "Oh," she replied stupidly before she _did_ begin to blush, "I'm sorry about lashing out at you, I guess I just misunderstood what you said,"

"It's fine. I can learn a lot about a person when they're angry," he replied and Kagome's blush deepened at his remark before nodding. There really wasn't much else she could say or do at this point, the only thing she was thankful for was that he hadn't fired her on the spot. She turned to leave and just as she was about to reach for the doorknob she heard Mr. Tashio's voice call out to her. "Good day Ms. Higurashi,"

Kagome turned her head slightly to sideways glance at him before slightly smiling, "Good day Mr. Tashio," she replied

(Divider)

"Knock, knock," Sango greeted as she pocked her head into Kagome's office. The raven haired woman at her desk looked up from her solitaire game to smile up at the secretary. "Hey Sango," Kagome replied as the brown haired woman took a few steps into her office.

"What are you up to?" Sango asked with a happy giggle as she walked the rest of the distance to her desk to peek over and try to see what Kagome was doing. Kagome quickly grabbed the top of her laptop and pulled it shut before Sango got a chance to spot her solitaire game. "I think the better question is what have you been up to?" Kagome asked back, noting Sango's flushed features and small smile that seemed permanently plastered to her face.

The brunette woman blinked in surprise before letting out a light laugh, "I'll give you a hint, it would make any woman giggle with excitement," Sango played and Kagome narrowed her eyes playfully at her before replying, "Just tell me already,"

"Alright, since you asked," Sango answered with a grin, "I just got a bouquet sent to my desk from a secret admirer!" she exclaimed and Kagome's smile widened to a grin.

"Do you have a clue to who it is?" Kagome asked before letting out a light laugh at Sango's obvious glee at the situation. "All I know is that they're here at the office,"

"How do you know that?" Kagome asked as Sango presented her with a small card. On it was a small poem written in dark red cursive. The writing was so professional and perfect that Kagome felt it was almost inhuman. It read:

_Everyday I see you from my desk,_

_sitting at yours, _

_and I always feel my pulse quicken when your chocolate eyes _

_search the room and find me. _

_I want to make you mine,_

_and show you the love I've been hiding,_

_for far too long. _

Kagome looked up from the poem and rested her chin on her palm as she soaked in it all in. It was such a touching poem, and the person obviously felt a lot for Sango. "Well, what do you think?" Sango asked anxiously and Kagome sent her a smile before answering.

"We have to find this guy," Sango's smile widened at that she and she let out another excited laugh before twirling around the room. "I've never felt so exhilarated before! I wish I could feel this good everyday," Sango stated wistfully as she paused in her twirling to stare back at Kagome.

"I wonder if I could find him now, "Sango murmured and turned to walk away but Kagome quickly called out to her. "Wait for me!" Kagome cried exasperatedly before hurrying out of her chair as the two woman peeked out of Kagome's office. _And I thought this would be hard,_ Kagome thought sarcastically as she noted what looked like hundreds of desks that faced Sango's.

"So it looks like there's a lot of guys who could look at you from their desk," Kagome stated and Sango nodded in agreement. "And what are you ladies up to?" chimed a man's voice from behind them. Both women jumped slightly in surprise before turning around to face the owner of that voice. A tall man with short brown hair and blue eyes stared back at them with a smile. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black pants with matching dress shoes.

"Hi Miroku," Sango greeted kindly before Kagome gave him a suspicious eye. _Could he possibly be the one?_ She thought as she noted the obvious way Sango's face brightened when she greeted him and the way the man's smile widened as he seemed to soak Sango's appearance in.

The man, Miroku, turned slightly in Kagome's direction before sending her a friendly smile, "Sango, who is your enchanting friend?" he asked. "Her name's Kagome," Sango replied with a kind smile in Kagome's direction. Miroku grabbed Kagome's hand and bowed above it, "the pleasure is all mine," he stated charmingly before bending his head to kiss it, but Kagome was able to pull out of his grasp and he ended up kissing his own palm.

"Yes, the pleasure _is_ all yours," she retorted crossly. _He can't possibly be Sango's secret admirer, he's too much of a ladies man,_ Kagome thought as she glared down at him. He gave her what she assumed was his best puppy eyed look before bowing his head in mock sadness, "I can tell you don't like me very much," he murmured and Kagome stuck her nose in the air before responding.

"Its obvious you're a ladies man, and I _hate_ ladies men," Kagome continued to look away from him even when she felt Miroku's eyes on her, "you act all charming now but in a minute you'll forget all about me," she added, and as if proving her point Miroku turned away from her and smiled down at Sango.

"You look positively radiant today Sango darling," he stated and Sango instantly blushed, "would you like to grab lunch with me later?" he asked and Sango nodded timidly and Miroku gave her a wide smile in return.

"Good, now you two go have fun somewhere else before the boss finds you here. I'm already six feet under with him and I don't need you guys to add two more feet to that," Kagome stated but wished she hadn't when Sango and Miroku both gave her curious stares.

"You got in trouble with Mr. Tashio?" Sango asked with surprise.

"Do tell," Miroku added with a wicked grin.

"No," Kagome glared, "now, please leave," she added in all seriousness. Sango and Miroku turned towards each other for a moment, as if wishing for the other to explain Kagome's rather hot tempered response. After a moment, Miroku shrugged and began walking away with Sango beside him.

Kagome watched their depature and her eyebrows rose in surprise when Miroku snaked a hand around Sango's waist, and she didn't push him away. But a moment later Kagome saw his hand begin to wander lower and a loud smack echoed throughout the halls before...

"Pervert!" Sango screamed as she glared up at him with a bright blush. Miroku laughed lightly before cupping his reddened cheek and waving his offending hand helplessly.

Kagome shook her head lightly with a small smile before returning to her desk and switching her laptop back on. Once the screen was loaded again she pulled up her solitaire game and let out a sigh of boredom. _When would the day end already?_

(Divider)


	4. A lunch date gone horribly wrong

_Ok so I know it's been FOREVER since I've written for this story, but I suddenly got the need to update recently. I'm more of a Rin/Sessh fan, but this story is growing on me and I felt like I just had to update!Sorry for the long wait guys! _

_Review Corner_

_FluffyandKagome: haha well maybe not yet, but I'm sure she will :) _

_Kashiangel07: sorry to keep you waiting for so long!_

(Divider)

Kagome had just finished scribbling down a few notes after a phone call to one of their ally companies when she heard a knock on her office door.

"Come in!" she chirped happily. She had been working for InuTashio Corp for three months now, and rather liked her job. In fact, she enjoyed _working_ rather then staying at home. The realization of that fact came as a big surprise to Kagome since she had loved doing nothing back in her school days. Working at InuTashio Corp gave her a sense of accomplishment she guessed. She liked being able to do well at something.

Sango popped her head in after Kagome's invite with a smile before walking into Kagome's office. The woman had become increasingly beautiful every time Kagome had seen her. She wasn't sure if she had done something with her hair or just had a glow Kagome had never noticed before. Either way, she looked breathtaking.

"You look beautiful today," Kagome smiled, "is it for little 'o me?" she added coyly and Sango merely laughed at her playful antics.

"You don't look half bad either, and I'm sorry, but I didn't do it for you," she replied and Kagome gave her a fake pout that made her laugh again.

"I've got a date after work and I wanted to let you know I'll be leaving in a few minutes. So if you need anything you'll have to speak to the Lord of Ice or his minion," Sango added and Kagome smirked. 'Lord of Ice' was the nickname given to their boss Sesshomaru, while 'minion' was for his assistant Jaken.

While Kagome hadn't really spoken to him since their last mishap, she hadn't really thought he was all bad. Sure, he came off cold sometimes...well, almost _all _of the time. But something about the way he always had Rin around made her think otherwise.

Rin was way too happy all the time for him to be as cold as everyone made him out to be. Kagome thought that his demeanor was just a facade, a way to keep his employees in line. Because who would want to piss off the 'Lord of Ice?'

"Are you seeing Miroku again?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, figuring that she was right. The office found out that Miroku ended up being Sango's 'secret admirer,' though the handwriting on the note had thrown everyone off. Miroku had horrid handwriting, yet the lettering on the note looked as clean and perfect as if it were a wedding invitation. No one really thought much of it, but Kagome had a sneaky suspicion that Miroku had gotten help from someone.

Everyone was genuinely happy for the two when they went out for the first time. Even Sesshomaru had shown up when it was revealed who Sango's admirer was. He only made an icy remark that the two better keep their attention on business and keep their affection outside the office. He threatened that if he ever found them doing something _other_ than business together he'd fire them. Kagome had to admit that Sesshomaru's monotone voice could be a little intimidating, especially when it was used to voice a threat. Even now the thought sent a little shiver up her spine.

"Yes. It'll be our third date, I just hope he doesn't try to hit on the waitress again," she sighed and Kagome gave her a sympathetic smile. Miroku, as she found out, was a _very_ big ladies man. Sometimes he couldn't help himself and he'd flirt with every pretty woman who walked by.

Even if he was on a date with Sango, he'd sometimes lose it and would run after the nearest pretty girl. Of course Sango never gave up on him, and constantly forgave him. Though Sango would never admit it, Kagome saw them as a couple.

"Well I hope you two have fun tonight! Thanks for letting me know that you'd be leaving. Give me all the details on Monday," Kagome smiled and Sango returned it before waving goodbye and walked out of her office. She made sure to lightly close the door behind her.

Kagome stretched out her arms and realized that she had probably done enough work for the day too. It was Friday, and she was looking forward to the weekend. Looking at the time Kagome wondered if she could go home as well. Most of the other employees had left hours before; Sesshomaru typically shortened the day on Fridays. Kagome, being the perfectionist that she was, couldn't leave until at least the day's work was done. Luckily for her, that in all her effort she was able to finish the work she would've had to do for the weekend too.

Kagome went to her e-mail box and thought of sending her boss a message that she would be leaving, but decided against it. What if he had left too? She closed her e-mail and logged off her computer before gathering her things and making her way to his office. She'd check to see if he was still in and tell him she was leaving personally.

When Kagome made it to the end of the hall she saw through the glass that the lights were off. _He must've left already, _she thought as she turned to go.

"Ms. Higurashi," Sesshomaru called, causing her to jump slightly in surprise. Kagome tried to squint through the glass to see if she could spot him, but it was too dark. Figuring if she was hearing things, at least no one was around to see her trying to get into her boss's empty office.

She grabbed the golden knob, gently twisted it, and pushed the door open. The room looked even darker inside than it did through the door. No windows were open and no lights were on in his office.

"Uh...Mr. Tashio?" she called into the seemingly empty room.

"Yes. I'm here," he answered and Kagome turned to her left to see a very dim light coming from his laptop. She could somewhat see the outline of his chin and lips from the light, but not much else.

"Why are you in the dark?" Kagome asked, unable to help herself.

"It's more peaceful in the dark. I work better this way," he responded coolly.

"Oh I see...where's Rin?" Kagome asked.

"With her babysitter," he replied in the same manner as he had before.

"Oh, that makes sense. I missed her daily visit to my office," Kagome stated, not really aware that she had voiced her feelings out loud. Or at least loud enough for him to hear.

"I had no idea my daughter had such an affect on you, Ms. Higurashi. I shall let her know you missed her. I'm sure she'll make up to you," he answered.

"Oh, well you don't have to-I mean I'm sure I'll just see her Monday..." she stated with a slight blush, a little embarrassed at how she seemed so at a loss for words.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" he asked.

"No...oh! I meant to tell you that I'll be leaving for the evening. I was going to e-mail you, but I wasn't sure if you were still here so I thought I'd check your office," Kagome replied. He didn't answer right away but Kagome swore that she saw his mouth go up a little.

"You know it isn't protocol to tell me when you are leaving. But thank you for your personal goodbye Ms. Higurashi. I'll see you on Monday," was his level response. Kagome felt her face heat up slightly at that. She had been e-mailing him everyday since she had been there when she had gotten ready to go home, she hadn't known that it wasn't expected of her to do so.

"See you Monday," Kagome replied sheepishly before leaving his office.

(Divider)

Saturdays were Kagome's relaxation days. On Saturdays she slept in for as long as she could and watched cartoons all morning. Then she'd go out to lunch with some friends before coming home to take as long of a bubble bath as possible while listening to smooth jazz. Oh yes, Saturday was Kagome's _favorite_ day of the week.

Of course, _this_ Saturday was hardly going as well as she would've hoped. Her morning had been fine, but her routine lunch with her friends had been canceled. Her friends one by one called her to tell her a variety of excuses why they couldn't make it to lunch with her. Whether it be that they had family to go see, their dog died, or, worst of all, that they had work to do! Who in their right mind would work on a Saturday?

But, not wanting to be in a gloomy mood on her favorite day, Kagome decided to go on her own. Surely a quiet lunch alone with a good book would be tranquil.

But when she got there, tranquility seemed to be the furthest thing on her mind. When she walked in and was told to follow a friendly (and attractive) looking man to a table, she spotted him. He wasn't alone either. His silver hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and his gold eyes were sparkling with something Kagome had never seen in them before. Love. Instantly she felt her heart begin to break all over again, just like it had back in high school.

"Miss?" the waiter asked, who had reached the table he had prepared for her to sit in. He had even pulled out the chair for her. Kagome smiled weakly at him before collecting all the pride she could and went to sit down.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked and Kagome could only shake her head in reply. She didn't think she could drink anything at the moment, or even eat.

"I'll come back later then," he stated with a soft smile and gave her a low bow before leaving to tend to another guest.

Kagome felt her eyes immediately snake around the room to find him again. His back was to her, which helped a little, but she saw that his hand was intertwined with the woman's sitting across from him. Even that little display of affection made Kagome's heart skip a beat. Her throat went dry and she had to blink back hot tears.

"Ms. Higurashi," she blinked away her tears in surprise before turning towards the voice that had called out her name and saw Sesshomaru standing there. Kagome's eyes widened slightly and she felt her cheeks heat up as she frantically rubbed her eyes to try and hide the fact that she was almost in tears.

"What a surprise to see you here," he added with that monotone voice of his and took a seat across from her. She wanted to say that she was eating alone, but didn't want to come off as rude. He was her boss, after all.

"Yes. What a surprise," Kagome said in return, but she could clearly hear the strain in her voice. By the slight furrow of Sesshomaru's brows she knew he could hear it too.

"Are you not feeling well today Ms. Higurashi?" he asked. He didn't sound genuinely concerned, merely curious.

"No, I'm feeling...fine," Kagome responded meekly. Luckily she had caught herself before she spilled how she _really_ felt.

"Waiter," Sesshomaru suddenly called. He leaned over the table and raised his hand gracefully in the air to get the man's attention. He also seemed to get the attention of the whole restaurant as well, since nearly the entire staff suddenly appeared at their table.

"Yes, what can we get you Mr. Tashio?" Kagome's waiter asked.

"Get us some champaign," he stole a glance at Kagome, "and a shot of Vodka,"

All the heads of the staff nodded in unison before they all dashed to the kitchen. Kagome's eyebrows rose in surprise before she turned back to look at Sesshomaru.

"Wow. They certainly seemed more than eager to wait on you," Kagome stated.

"It is expected of them to do their best to serve me. It was I who made this restaurant what it is today," he replied grabbing the only menu sitting there on the table. He flipped open the laminated cover and seemed to lose himself in all the options they had to eat for lunch, while Kagome sat across from him silently.

Kagome was thankful for the momentary silence to fall back into her thoughts. Though she had wanted to eat alone, suddenly having company didn't seem so bad.

Kagome's waiter returned with a bottle of what she presumed was their best champaign, two champaign glasses, and a small shot glass of Vodka, all expertly balanced on a serving tray. He set both glasses down, along with Kagome's shot glass, before opening the champaign bottle and pouring them both a good amount of champaign. He left the bottle there and bowed slowly to both of them before departing.

The two ended up staring at one another in silence before Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the menu.

"Were you expecting anyone?" he asked out of the blue, again in monotone.

"No," she replied truthfully, "I came alone,"

"Good," he answered. Kagome didn't know what he meant by that.

"It's good to eat alone sometimes," he added, as if to explain himself, "and I won't have to worry about someone interrupting us," He said all of it without looking at her, but Kagome felt like he was. Did he think this was a date of some sort? Was he toying with her? Did he want to watch her squirm for his own enjoyment?

"Drink," he commanded, finally looked up at her. When she didn't comply, his eyes turned to the shot glass before coming back to hers.

"Oh I don't need that," Kagome assured him, "why don't you have it?" she added taking the glass in her hand and reaching over the table to hand it to him.

"You look like you could use it more then I," was his calm reply and Kagome withdrew her hand before looking down at the little glass. She guessed she did, and taking a shot started to sounded _very_ attractive at the moment.

Without a second thought, Kagome pressed the glass to her lips and threw her head back letting the liquid slide down her throat. After it was gone she placed the glass back on the table and took a deep breath. Her face scrunched up a little at how strong the alcohol was, but after it settled in her stomach she started to feel a bit better.

"Wow that's strong," she breathed.

"The best Vodka in the city I assure you," Sesshomaru replied and Kagome smiled at him. Though she only had a shot she swore that she felt a bit buzzed already.

"So what are you doing here, Mr. Tashio?" Kagome asked, feeling a bit friendlier, and truly curious, "are you eating alone as well?"

"No, I just had an interview with a client," he answered and Kagome looked to see that he was dressed in a fine suit and tie. It was most likely an Armani suit by how expensive it looked. Surprisingly it was a white suit rather then a black one, and yet it looked perfect on him.

Kagome was sure it might look quite comical on anyone else, but the brightness of the suit's jacket worked well with his silver hair and golden eyes. Kagome didn't realize at first that she was staring until she saw Sesshomaru smirk slightly.

"Is there something on my face, Ms. Higurashi?" Sesshomaru asked calmly, and when she blushed and looked away she was sure that his smirk got just a little bit bigger.

"Was this client important?" Kagome asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Very important," he answered, "he's from one of the main competitors," he added. Kagome's head shot up and she looked him square in the eye. This could be big, having one of the competitors seriously considering to work with InuTashio Corp would be a major break through on the market.

"Did he seem interested?" Kagome asked, forgetting for a second that they weren't equals.

"He did," Sesshomaru replied a little hesitantly, "but let's not talk about business. I'm sure you want to enjoy your lunch in peace," he added before starting to get out of his chair.

"No!" Kagome exclaimed and reached out her hand to grab hold of his suit sleeve. Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose slightly at her bold behavior.

"I mean...you can stay...I'd like the company," Kagome added feeling a bit embarrassed but didn't tear her eyes away from his. After a moment of considering, he sat back down and Kagome gingerly removed her grip on his sleeve.

"If you wish it, then I shall stay," he promised and Kagome smiled at him before raising her glass of champaign.

"Let's toast," she said suddenly, feeling better then she should, having lunch with her boss, "to success of InuTashio Corp," she added when he raised his glass as well. They clicked their glasses together before taking a sip.

The rest of the lunch seemed to go by in a blur. Kagome wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol or that she was genuinely having a good time. Either way, she was disappointed when it was coming to an end. Sesshomaru had offered to cover the bill, and the waiter had just returned with his change.

"Thank you, Mr. Tashio, for a lovely meal. I really needed it," Kagome stated sincerely as the two stood up. Her boss merely nodded and was about to leave when he paused right in front of her. Kagome felt her heart flutter at how close they were, and she was almost sure he was going to kiss her. That was until...

"Sesshomaru!" the voice of the man she had forgotten about rang throughout the restaurant and Kagome felt her blood run cold. She desperately didn't want to turn around, but knew he'd probably come and see who Sesshomaru was with, so she turned.

"Brother," Sesshomaru answered in a tone much colder than Kagome had heard him speak all afternoon. Inuyasha froze when he turned his gaze from Sesshomaru to Kagome. He seemed to instantly recognize her as she had when she had first spotted him.

"Kagome..." he murmured his eyes wide in surprise... and happiness? Kagome was sure that she must have been seeing things. Inuyasha, happy to see her? Hell was likely to freeze over first.

"You know each other?" Sesshomaru asked coolly as he eyed the two. Kagome merely nodded and started to fidget under both men's gazes. _What a small world_, she thought bitterly and wondered why she hadn't thought that they could be related before. Obviously there weren't that many men with golden eyes and silver hair walking around Tokyo.

Suddenly the thought of seeing Inuyasha after so long caused Kagome to start feeling sick. She didn't want him to know that he still held power over her even now, so many years later. _I don't want him to know that...I'm still not over him_, she thought solemnly as she hurriedly adverted her gaze when she locked eyes with Inuyasha.

"Please, excuse me," she murmured politely, and started to walk away with her head down so the two men couldn't see the raw emotions stirring in the back of her dark brown eyes.

"Let me take you home," Sesshomaru offered, but Kagome merely shook her head as she stood right in the middle of the two brothers.

"I'm fine, I'll see you on Monday," she replied and hurried away before they could offer her any more help.

"Wait!" she heard Inuyasha call after her and she almost faltered, almost. But she didn't, she kept walking and refused look back, even when she got into her car and drove away.

(Divider)


	5. It's never fun having to deal with an ex

_Ok so I was thinking about writing another chapter in one of my other stories, but ideas for this one kept swirling in my mind. And I ended up writing another chapter. Then I thought I could wait a couple days to collect more reviews, but I'm so proud of this chapter that I can't wait! So here you go, enjoy!_

_Review Corner_

_DramaDitz: so happy to see a new face on my reviews! Love it when more people read my stories and comment on them! :) I love dragging out the love in my stories. I just love cold, unfeeling Sesshomaru too much to turn him into a love zombie after like one chapter. _

(Divider)

Monday had finally come around, and Sesshomaru had to admit that he was still curious about what had happened with Ms. Higurashi. She had hurried away and denied his offer of a ride home after their lunch together. His brother had left moments after, since his woman had come to collect him. Sesshomaru observed that she had a strange likeness to his employee. Coincidence?

Currently in his office, Sesshomaru couldn't find the motivation to work. He had never cared about his employees' lives before, so why did Ms. Higurashi's seem so interesting all of the sudden?

A knock at his door cut off his thoughts, and he was about to call out 'Kagura' but remembered he had given her the day off. Looking down to his right side he saw that Rin was gone as well. She had run off moments after they had reached his office, excited to see Kagome after the weekend. Sesshomaru was slightly bothered that Rin didn't use his employees full title when addressing her. But Ms. Higurashi didn't seem to mind the little girl too much.

"Come in," he called to the door, not bothering to scent who was standing there. It was most likely one of the other employees coming to report that the coffee machine wasn't working or some other trivial matter. But the door opened and the person who was behind it wasn't any of his employees

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha greeted calmly as he walked into the room and closed the glass door behind him.

"Brother," Sesshomaru answered back coldly, making sure his voice gave off the vibe that _he_ wasn't welcome there. Inuyasha glared hotly at him in return, but then closed his eyes and seemed to calm himself down before speaking again.

"Is-Is Kagome here?" he asked, his voice giving his anticipation away. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at that, what relationship did his brother and Ms. Higurashi have? Judging by Kagome's reaction on Saturday, he assumed it wasn't a good one. He suddenly realized he had dropped her title, and though it was only in his thoughts he would have to watch himself. He wouldn't want her first name slipping out on accident when conversing with her.

"Yes, Ms. Higurashi is my employee," Sesshomaru responded hesitantly. He hoped she wouldn't hold it against him for letting his brother know she worked for him. Wait, since when had he cared what others thoughts of his actions?

"What office is she in? I really need to talk to her," Inuyasha stated.

"What relationship do you have with her? By the way she reacted to you before, I'm guessing she doesn't want to talk to you," Sesshomaru asked, slightly surprised that he was _defending_ her. He supposed that, if he had to choose between the two, he preferred Ms. Higurashi over his half brother.

"What does it matter to you, Sesshomaru? She's just an employee," Inuyasha growled back, baring his half-breed fangs at him.

The two brothers had always worked hard to hide the features that made them...different. No human (except Inuyasha's mother and Rin) knew about demons' existence, and their father had stressed the importance of keeping their heritage a secret. But between each other they held no fear of hiding what really made them..._monsters_.

Sesshomaru glared at his brother and let his irises go red for a moment before calming himself down. He wouldn't stoop to Inuyasha's level and bicker with him.

"I do not want anything to alter her concentration at work. If you indeed have a relationship with her I'd like to know it won't distract her, or distress her in anyway," Sesshomaru responded, keeping his cool expression even as Inuyasha's got angrier.

"It isn't any of your business. All that matters is that I have to talk to her!" Inuyasha retorted in a near yell, his raging spirit shining through his typical forlorn expression.

"Come back in two hours. I will speak with Ms. Higurashi and see if she is willing to see _you,_" Sesshomaru replied, "don't fight with me brother, this is the best I'm going to give you," he added when he saw his brother's unhappy expression.

"Fine, I'll come back in two hours," he ground out before turning around and leaving Sesshomaru's office.

Sesshomaru waited for a moment after Inuyasha's departure before he went to his phone and paged Kagome's office. She picked up her phone after the second beep.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Tashio?" came Kagome's gentle voice and Rin's happy chatter in the background. Sesshomaru faltered for a moment, and almost forgot why he had paged her in the first place.

"I need to speak with you, alone, please drop Rin off with the secretary," he answered and was met with silence before Kagome agreed.

(Divider)

Kagome had been having a great Monday morning. Rin had run in moments after the day started with a small bouquet of flowers and a huge grin.

"Daddy said you missed me! So I got you flowers!" she exclaimed in her cute, happy way. Kagome had put them on her desk, but not before smelling them and thanking Rin.

Kagome had a lot of work to do that morning but, not wanting to turn Rin away, let her play with her Nintendo DS. The girl seemed more than happy to waste away the hours with the little game. Kagome had a pet game where it was possible to create a pet to love and care for, and Rin had created a large white dog.

"Look Kagome! It's Daddy!" she had exclaimed showing her the dog she had created. It had long white ears with a long fluffy thing wound around its shoulder and golden eyes. Kagome was confused on what Rin meant by that, but assumed she wanted to name the dog _after_ her father. Not saying that the dog _was_ her father. That would be absurd...wouldn't it?

Kagome continued working for another hour when she suddenly got a page from Sesshomaru. Why her boss was paging her, she hadn't the faintest idea. He had countless other employees ranked much higher than her that would probably answer whatever questions he had while respectfully kissing his shoes.

But she picked it up with a happy greeting nonetheless, and found out he wanted to speak with her, alone. Kagome gulped slightly in worry at that. Had she stepped over the line having lunch with him? Was he going to fire her?

Kagome dropped Rin off with Sango (the girl didn't even seem to realize what was going on since her eyes never left the screen of her DS) before going to Sesshomaru's office. Once she reached his office door Kagome took in a deep breath and counted to ten before opening it.

The first thing Kagome noticed was that Sesshomaru had his office well lit today. The curtains were open wide and she had to take a moment to stare at her boss. He wore another black suit, like always, but seemed to look slightly different today. His hair was practically glistening in the sun, and his skin seemed lighter than usual.

His gold eyes moved from his laptop and rested on her before he spoke.

"Please come in, Ms. Higurashi," he invited calmly, "close the door," he added once she was inside his office.

Kagome took in his office as she nervously licked her lips, unsure of the meaning of his call.

"What is the relationship between you and my brother?" he asked and Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What does it matter?" she asked back.

"He came to me asking for you,"

"Oh I see...he never came to my office,"

"I told him to come back in two hours so I could have time to talk to you. I did not want to tell him where you were unless I knew you were willing to see him,"

"Oh,"

"Do you wish to see him?"

"I don't know," Kagome answered truthfully. She hadn't seen Inuyasha since high school, since they had been together. The thought of seeing him again caused her heart to race, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

She knew that, deep down, she hated him. After so many fruitless times of being completely faithful to him, she had been replaced by her cousin. Though Kagome had known all along that her cousin Kikyo had always had eyes on him since Kagome admitted to liking him. Her cousin had no morals when it came to relationships, if she wanted a man she wouldn't stop until she got him. Even if the man belonged to her own cousin.

"Do not feel obligated to say yes because he came asking to see you, or because he is my brother," Sesshomaru stated, and almost made it sound like he _didn't_ want her to see Inuyasha. That was interesting.

"Believe me, my brother and I are anything but close," he added when she remained silent.

"We dated in high school," Kagome blurted out suddenly, and altered her gaze with a slight blush at the realization that she had shared something extremely personal with her boss.

"What?"

"We dated off and on in high school. He couldn't choose between my cousin and I. It was an ongoing cycle until high school ended and I applied for the college furthest from the one he was going to," Kagome explained and bit her lip after she finished.

She didn't know how or why she had just opened up to her boss. But he _had_ held back giving Inuyasha her office room, and wanted to make sure she was alright with him giving it out. Again the thought that maybe he wasn't as cold as he wanted to seem to those around him arose in her mind.

"I see," was his cold response and the thought disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Kagome clenched her hands into fists nervously as she tried to think of what to say.

"I will not give out your office number when Inuyasha returns," he concluded and turned his attention back to his laptop, inevitably ending their conversation.

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it again thinking there was nothing else to say. She turned around to leave, and just as her hand was about to grab a hold of the knob, Sesshomaru spoke.

"You're welcome,"

Kagome smiled at the door before turning her head sideways to see him watching at her.

"Good day, Mr. Tashio,"

(Divider)

Kagome was making her way back to her office when she remembered that she had left Rin in Sango's care. So instead of entering her office she continued down the hallway until Sango's desk came into view. The woman was positively glowing! Kagome was surprised she hadn't noticed how good she looked before.

Sango wore a very snug pink sweater with a black pencil skirt and matching heels. Her make-up was done almost professionally, and her hair was pulled back in the usual loose ponytail.

"Sango! You look like you just came from the Heavens!" Kagome exclaimed with a grin. Sango turned from her desk to smile up at Kagome.

"You're so sweet, Kagome! I just had the best weekend any woman could _imagine_!" she cried and took Kagome into a spastic hug. A light bulb suddenly went on in Kagome's head, the date! She had completely forgotten that Sango had a date with Miroku over the past weekend.

"Tell me!" Kagome demanded, then pulled her aside, realizing by all the looks they were getting that they were causing a scene.

"Well Miroku took me to this _amazing_ sushi restaurant Friday night and then we went up to an old cottage home that his grandfather owned. We spent the whole weekend there! Then, on Saturday, we spent the whole day walking around the preserve that surrounded the house. On Sunday we went out to a play, a play! And Kagome, he didn't flirt with any of our waitresses, not one! After that he brought me to his apartment where we spent the last night of the weekend just cuddling. We arrived together this morning," Sango gushed.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! No wonder your glowing!" Kagome replied as the two girls held hands and giggled, feeling like high schoolers all over again.

"Oh, look at me! I'm getting so distracted. I'm sorry, but I really have to get back to work, I wouldn't want the 'Lord of Ice' firing me," Sango stated and Kagome nodded, knowing she had to get back to work too. Which reminded her...

"Sango, do you still have Rin with you?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, no she took off once she realized she wasn't in your office anymore. She said that she probably should go back to her Dad so I let her head back," Sango responded. A little put out that she wouldn't have Rin's company, Kagome nodded and headed back towards her office. It was probably for the best anyway, Rin couldn't always visit her.

"Hey! Put me down! When Daddy gets here, he'll show you!" the sound of a distressed Rin rang through the halls and Kagome felt her chest tighten in fear. Was Rin getting abducted? She hurried down the hall and made a swift right at the end of it where she had heard the little girl's voice.

"Shut up you little brat! You shouldn't be walking around these halls alone," a nagging voice snapped back. Kagome stopped and took a breath of relief when she recognized that voice. It was only Inuyasha. Wait, why was she relieved?

She saw him approaching with Rin slung over his shoulder. The little girl was beating at his chest with her fists and giving him what looked like her best glare. Inuyasha was glaring right back with as much intensity as she was. When they got within a few feet of her, Rin turned her head and instantly spotted Kagome.

"Kagome!" she cried and outstretched her arms out to the older woman. Unable to resist, Kagome walked up to them and took a hold of Rin. She nestled up against Kagome and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, thankful that her voice came out smooth and steady.

"Kagome...I came here to see you," he replied and Kagome felt her heart skip a beat. Though she had known the reason for his appearance, hearing it from him hit her hard. Rin merely looked between the two in puzzlement. Kagome bent down to the ground to let Rin go. When the girl gave a weary glance to Inuyasha and didn't let go, Kagome gently pushed her arms away from her neck.

"Go to Sesshomaru's office, I'm sure he's worried about you," Kagome stated softly. Rin seemed a little put out at being sent away, but ultimately seemed to agree and didn't argue. She gave one last look at Inuyasha before turning and heading to her dad's office.

Once she was gone, Kagome stood up and looked at Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru said you wouldn't be coming for another two hours," Kagome pointed out, and Inuyasha's eyes looked away for a moment before returning to her suspicious, dark brown gaze.

"I know, but I couldn't wait. I was willing to come back sooner for another shot at talking to you," he answered, and Kagome couldn't help but blush at the thought of him making such an effort for her.

"It's been a long time, Kagome," he added and his eyes moved up and down her form, as if trying to permanently add her appearance to part of his memory.

"Yes it has. I saw you with Kikyo the other day, are you two doing well?" Kagome asked. Her voice had lowered after mentioning her cousin's name, but she had to remind herself that Inuyasha was taken.

"Oh you did, did you?" his own voice lowered as if ashamed of the fact she had seen them together, "yeah, I guess we're doing alright,"

"That's good," Kagome quietly replied and looked away. An awkward silence filled the hall and she desperately wanted to go hide in her office and pretend that this whole thing hadn't happened.

"I miss you," he admitted suddenly, and Kagome's head shot up in disbelief, "I didn't realize it until Saturday, but when I saw you...I thought of us, of how _we_ were," he pledged. Kagome wanted to believe him, she _really_ wanted to believe him, but she had heard that story so many times before. It wasn't the same _exact_ story, but it followed the same plot line of him missing her.

"Inuyasha don't do this. Don't lie to me. I've heard this too many times before, I can't take it when you lie to me!" Kagome screamed at him, not caring that they were in the middle of a hallway full of offices.

"Kagome...I would never lie to you," Inuyasha answered and took a step forward as if to embrace her.

"No! Stay away from me Inuyasha! I don't want to ever see you again!" Kagome screamed as she turned to run away but instead ran into someone who had somehow mysteriously appeared right behind her.

Too late to try and hide it Kagome started crying. She grabbed a hold of whoever had been there and balled her eyes out. All the pain and suffering she had felt for Inuyasha rushed out of her at that moment.

"Leave," Sesshomaru's voice commanded. Kagome sucked in her breath at realizing just _who_ she was pressed up against, and pulled back a little to see a very expensive black suit, now damp from her tears. She turned her face up to see Sesshomaru standing there. He didn't look at her, merely kept his gaze on his brother.

"I can't leave, I won't leave until she understands that I want her! After seeing how much she's changed I no longer want Kikyo! Kagome, please listen to me! You're the only one I want now," Inuyasha replied. Kagome's hands around Sesshomaru's waist tightened and they locked eyes for a moment before he spoke.

"I _will_ call security if you don't leave," he threatened, that cold voice sending shivers down Kagome's spine. She heard Inuyasha growl at him, and was worried that he'd keep on persisting, but relaxed when she heard the sound of receding footsteps.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru," Kagome murmured after they both were sure that Inuyasha was gone.

"For what?" he asked. Kagome looked down at his suit and sighed.

"For dampening your suit, it must be ruined now. All because I had to go and make a scene with Inuyasha," Kagome replied and felt like she wanted to cry all over again.

"My suit is fine. There is nothing for you to worry about," he assured her. He stepped back and Kagome blushed when she realized her arms were still hanging loosely around his waist. She immediately pulled them back and kept her gaze on the floor.

Sesshomaru's hand reached out and his index finger went under her chin before pushing her head gently up so she could look him in the eyes.

"Don't let Inuyasha get to you," he added softly before removing his hand and walking back to his office. Kagome stared after him in disbelief for a couple of moments before blushing and hurrying back to her office. She couldn't believe it but, Sesshomaru had actually done something..._nice_. Kagome kept thinking about what had compelled him to be so nice to her all the way back to her office. Once she got in and closed the door behind her, she realized something else.

She had dropped his formal title.

_Oh, crap._

(Divider)


	6. Time to let loose!

(Divider)

Sesshomaru walked back to his office and when he entered saw Rin sitting in his chair. Her little form was much too small for his chair, so she looked almost comical sitting there. Her hands were on his desk and he realized she was trying to spin the chair, but wasn't strong enough to push herself in a full circle.

"Rin," he called to the girl. She immediately stopped her spinning and looked up at him with one of her silly grins.

"Daddy! You're back! Was Kagome alright?" she asked, curiosity and slight worry sparkling in her cinnamon eyed depths. Rin had thought it her duty to Kagome to send Sesshomaru out to make sure Inuyasha didn't harm her. Had Kagome been any other employee, he would've ignored Rin's request, but knowing that his half-brother was the cause of all this trouble peeked Sesshomaru's own curiosity.

"Yes," he replied stoically in return. Rin's large smile widened further, if that were possible, and jumped out of his chair to land gracefully on one foot. She hopped a couple of times before stopping right in front of him.

"Thanks Sesshomaru, I knew you would make Kagome feel better," Rin chirped, seeming to be truly proud of him for doing such an act for her.

Sesshomaru's eyes softened slightly at that. Though she was only seven, he had learned that when she called him by his first name, it meant she was truly grateful. When he had first met her she only called him by his first name, too young to realize that it meant certain things.

Of course initially, she had hardly spoken to him at all. So he never corrected her, worried that if he did she may _never_ speak.

"I want to go see her!" she exclaimed suddenly, and was about to skip around him when he grabbed her arm gently to stop her.

"Don't you think she could use a break?" he asked, with which Rin only smiled and shook her head.

"Kagome likes me visiting. She told me so," she replied confidently and Sesshomaru let her go. He could never say no to that adorable face.

(Divider)

Kagome sat down at her desk, still flustered from what had happened in the hallway with Sesshomaru. How was she supposed to act around him now? Obviously she'd be seen as a nuisance, a liability to the company's reputation.

"Kagome!" Rin's sweet voice chimed in the hallway. Kagome looked up from staring at her hands in her lap to see Rin hanging off her office doorknob. The little girl had a big grin spread across her face and her eyes were sparkling in pure happiness. Kagome could do nothing but smile back at the cute little girl, and wondered how Rin could constantly be so happy all the time.

"Is that meanie Inuyasha gone?" Rin asked as she entered Kagome's office with her nose twitching.

"Yes he is. Your Daddy scared him away," Kagome replied with a laugh.

"Daddy can do that. But he can be really nice too! Don't tell him I told you though, he'll get angry. Sesshomaru doesn't like it when people think that he can be kind to others," Rin giggled.

"I won't. It'll be our little secret," Kagome promised with a little wink.

"Kay!"

"Where did you put my DS, Rin?" Kagome asked, realizing that she didn't see the game in the child's hands. Rin gave her a clueless look for a second before gasping.

"Oh no! I don't know where I put it! But I'll find it, I promise!" Rin exclaimed and hurried out of her office. Kagome quickly got up, about to chase after her, but remembered that Rin ran around the company all the time without someone constantly supervising her. She'd be alright on her own.

She stared at her laptop and groaned at the list of assignments left to do. She couldn't believe that with all the work she had put in on Friday she _still_ had so much to do. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. She hated when she stressed out about work, but knew she couldn't help it.

"Somebody looks like they need a break," Miroku stated suddenly, popping up out of nowhere. After the initial shock wore off Kagome noticed that something was different about him, and took in his appearance.

His hair was slicked back and he wore what looked like a very expensive suit, second only to Sesshomaru's. Kagome could only stare at the man's transformation, though she knew he was attractive before, he looked positively dashing now.

"Oh, no. I've had too many breaks today, I need to work now," Kagome laughed, "but why are you so dressed up today? You look very dashing," Kagome added with a grin.

"Oh so you've noticed. Do you like it?" Miroku asked with one of his signature smiles. Kagome had learned that smile only meant one thing, duck and cover because Miroku was going to flirt.

"You didn't answer my question," Kagome replied, trying to dodge the flirt that was going to come. Miroku only smiled seeming to sense what she was doing and took a step into her office.

"Well if you must know, I felt like it. I've been feeling the cold shoulder from one too many ladies lately, and thought a make-over might change that," he stated with a confident smirk.

"But you have Sango, what other girl would you need to impress?" right after Kagome said it she covered her mouth with her hands. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Though the two had gone on dates, they hadn't officially said anything about them being a _thing._ Kagome assumed way too much, she'd have to watch herself next time.

"Well Sango is an obstacle that I have overcome! She is a very sweet woman, but I want to be challenged. I vow to win every girl's heart!" he exclaimed with a strong glint of determination in his dark blue eyes.

"Be careful Miroku," Kagome seethed, "or you might lose the respect of all the women in this office, including Sango's," she warned darkly. Miroku took a step back in sheer horror at the angry expression on Kagome face before he nervously laughed and hightailed it out of her office at top speed.

After he left, Kagome took a deep breath and returned her attention to her laptop. She started writing a report from the last phone call she made and thought how great her life would be if only she could control her emotions.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had just finished typing an agenda for the week when he realized how late it was. It had been two hours since he had last seen Rin. Surely she couldn't be enjoying Kagome's attention _that_ much.

It was unnaturally quiet in his office and he felt oddly..._jealous_. He was so used to Rin following _him_ around everywhere and always chatting about something or another. Now she had found Kagome, whom he supposed was much more entertaining to the seven year old.

His feelings of jealously weren't from missing Rin entirely, but just the absence of her presence. She calmed him, and made him feel like he had the important task of forever protecting and raising her. Her care-free personality brought out a much kinder side of him that, before her, was nearly nonexistent.

He then got out of his chair with the intent of bringing Rin back, kicking and screaming if he had to. Kagome was taking way too much of Rin's time, and it wasn't like Rin was _her_ daughter.

He paged Jaken to come and finish his paperwork while he went to fetch Rin. His assistant fell to the floor when he arrived and repeatedly thanked him all the way out the door. He ignored the tiny man and walked the short distance to Kagome's office. Her office door was left wide open, and he came upon a most peculiar scene.

The two girls were..._dancing_.

Some song was playing from Kagome's laptop sound system, and she was dancing along with the beat. Rin was giggling next to her, and trying to copy the woman's every movement. Kagome had good rhythm and was suggestively swinging her hips back and forth to the beat. Rin made more of a side to side motion with her hips, seemingly confused on how to move them as smoothly as Kagome was.

Sesshomaru would've chewed her out for fooling around under any other circumstance, but couldn't seem to remove his eyes from Kagome's hips. Watching her seemed to altered his thoughts, so much so that he almost forgot why he had even walked over.

"Daddy! Do you want to dance with us too?" Rin suddenly called with a big smile. Kagome whirled her head around and stared at him wide-eyed before her cheeks heated up. She hurriedly turned off the music and turned around to face him.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Tashio. I shouldn't have been messing around, but work got to my head and I needed a break," Kagome apologized, giving him a swift, embarrassed, bow of respect. Sesshomaru rose one of his brows at her and saw by her still flustered face that she hadn't been able to tell what an effect her dancing had on him.

"Join us!" Rin chirped as she hurried over to grab one of Sesshomaru's hands. She tugged as hard as she could to get him to come in, and even tried so hard that her feet slid on the rugged floor with the force her little body was exerting.

"Rin, he doesn't have to. I'm sure he's too busy for stuff like that," Kagome answered softly.

"But I think he does, he was staring at your-"

"Rin," Sesshomaru interrupted swiftly and the little girl instantly shut her mouth. Kagome looked back and forth between the two, but didn't say anything.

"I think it's time to come back to my office, Rin," Sesshomaru stated and the girl stopped pulling on his hand immediately. A variety of emotions crossed her face but she didn't complain. Her hand intertwined with his and she stood up straight next to him.

"OK," she answered with a smile. One thing he loved about her was her obedience, no matter what he said, she never complained or fought with him.

"Bye Kagome!" Rin called as the two left together. Kagome smiled and waved back until they were out of her sight.

"Did you not want Kagome to know that you wanted to learn how to dance?" Rin asked as they walked back to his office.

"What?" he asked back in slight surprise.

"Well you were staring at her butt!" Rin giggled when his eyes widened slightly, "it's alright, I was too. She just told me to copy her but...it's really hard to copy Kagome!" she added and Sesshomaru felt instantly relieved. Rin was still too young to know why he had _really_ been staring. Rin looked to the ground as they made it back to his office.

Of course, he missed the knowing smile that she had on her face as the two entered. Rin knew _much_ more then he thought she did.

(Divider)

_sorry its kind of short, but it felt like a good stopping point for a chapter. I know it's kinda off the wall from what has been going on, but I felt like a fun chapter might lift the spirits a bit for this story._


	7. Flattery will get you everywhere!

_Ok this review corner is going to be HUGE cause I wasn't keeping up with all my reviews lately. But here's is all the answers for you guys! _

_Review Corner_

_Topatoes: Aw I'm glad you like it a lot! I always strive to keep the character as close to the series as possible. Though I always seem to go a bit OC at times. I'm glad that you like Ocness too! It'll make it easier on me if Sesshomaru or any of the other characters slip._

_TheAnonymus: Yay another person that likes my story! I always feel so fuzzy inside when people tell me they like my work :]_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: Haha I love all your detailed reviews! They're fun to read! Thanks so much for reviewing! :] Also thanks for the bit of advice on my grammar, it always helps when people tell me to be careful. Sometimes I'll forget to check closely when I reread my chapters. _

_CutieSOS: I remember this nickname! Lol I love it when people jump around and review for my other stories :] Thanks so much! _

_Kurosaki13: Yay I love hooking people. It makes me feel like a good writer lol. Please read on and keep reviewing! _

_Llebreknit: Haha I guess we'll never know! It would be terribly out of character for Sessh to dance, but I tend to go a bit OC after a while so it could happen! Thanks for reviewing! _

_Celestial Purity: Aw glad you like it! :] I'm also glad that my writing is clear, it's the worst when the fanfic is written so advanced that it's hard to follow. _

_Sesshy's Mate2012: Haha love your enthusiasm! Here's another update for you! Please keep reviewing!_

_Pcebabe: Thanks for your review! :] here's another update for you! Please review!_

_Neko4: what's going to happen next? Well you'll find out now! Lol thanks for the review and please keep reviewing!_

(Divider)

Kagome collapsed on her chair once Sesshomaru and Rin left and covered her face with her hands. How much more had to happen before she _died_ of embarrassment? Kagome contemplated going to Sesshomaru's office and apologizing for her strange behavior, but before she got up from her chair a young man appeared in her doorway.

He had semi-long red hair that was pushed back in a ponytail and wore a generic gray uniform of the company he worked for. He looked around fourteen or fifteen and was staring intently at a small piece of paper in his hand.

"Kagome Higurashi?" he sounded out before looking up at her. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed forward in confusion, but nodded to the young man. He smiled at her and she noted that he had the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. He turned to the side and made a grab for something before he pulled a large cart that had been blocked by the wall.

"Well Ms. Higurashi, all these are for you," he stated as he rounded the cart into her office as Kagome let out a surprised gasp. Dozens of flowers were balanced on the large cart, all ranging in shape and color. They were separated by type and shade in very beautiful (and expensive) looking vases.

"Oh my, who would go through all this trouble?" Kagome asked turning to look at the delivery boy in astonishment. He grabbed a clipboard that was balancing on the edge of the cart and ran his finger down a sheet of paper before stopping about half-way down.

"A Mr. Inuyasha Tashio," he informed her and Kagome's jaw dropped. Inuyasha? But..._why_?

"Hey I don't know why he did it," the boy stated as his hands flew up near his face as if pleading innocent.

"Well, they're very pretty," Kagome noted while taking out a pink tulip to smell.

"Is he your boyfriend or something?" the boy asked.

"That's none of your business," Kagome glared at him before the boy laughed and scratched the back of his head a little nervously.

"Sorry Ms. Higurashi, I talk without thinking sometimes," he admitted with a toothy grin. Kagome's heart immediately melted, completely unable to resist the boy's cute charm.

"I'm Shippo, by the way," he added with a little blush.

"No last name?" Kagome asked.

"Nope, I've been an orphan all my life. I never learned my last name, if I even had one," he answered and Kagome smiled sympathetically. _Such a happy boy to be living all alone,_ she thought with a sad smile.

"Please don't worry about me," Shippo hurriedly said as if sensing Kagome's emotions, "really, I'm tough," he added confidently.

"Alright, I won't then," Kagome smiled at him, "would you help me unload all these flowers, tough guy?"

"Of course Miss," he answered immediately as he continued to smile at her, "oh, before I forget, Mr. Tashio also had a note he wanted me to give you," he added while frantically searching his person before finding a folded envelope in his inward jacket pocket.

Handing it over to her, Kagome greedily ripped the seal before pulling out the note. It was just a short message written in sloppy handwriting. But Kagome had gotten used to Inuyasha's handwriting back in high school when they'd pass notes to one another. The note read:

Dear Kagome,

I'm sorry for blowing up before, it wasn't right or fair to you. Please forgive me and give me another chance, I swear I'll be better behaved the next time.

Yours always,

Inuyasha.

Kagome held the note to her chest feeling all sorts of emotions arise in her. Happiness, hope, dread, worry, excitement, and overall unease. She had always wanted this day to come, where Inuyasha would be sending her flowers and begging her to forgive him. But now, after so long, she wasn't sure if she wanted it.

_What are you thinking? _her mind screamed at her, _Don't kid yourself, you've always wanted Inuyasha back and now he is! Make the most of it!_

Kagome smiled and reread the note before she grinned and hurried to help Shippo unload the flowers. Placing the note on her desk, Shippo and her made quick work of placing all the vases throughout her office bringing a light, welcoming feel to the bare room.

"Alright, that's all of them Miss. Have a good day!" he called before she stopped him.

"Don't you want a tip?" she asked and Shippo smiled at her.

"That's rather sweet of you Miss, but Mr. Tashio gave me a very nice tip already," he answered and gave her another friendly smile before taking off.

Kagome stood by the door for a couple more seconds just taking it all in. Was Inuyasha really hers again? Would starting something again with him be a good idea?

"Ooh look at all these flowers!" Sango gushed as Kagome turned around to see the woman go into her office. Walking back she spotted Sango smelling a purple lily and smiling to herself.

"Pretty aren't they?" she asked and Sango grinned.

"They are! Who are they from?" she asked back.

"Inuyasha Tashio,"

"Inuyasha? Sesshomaru's younger brother?" Kagome answered with a nod, "oh my! How unexpected! Miroku is good friends with him, they went to college together," Sango added.

"Oh I see," Kagome replied.

"This is so exciting, Kagome! Inuyasha may be Sesshomaru's younger brother but he's still a very good catch," she added with a suggestive grin.

"If you two become a 'thing' you'll have to tell me ALL about it," she added and Kagome merely laughed in return before nodding. Sango gave out a little giggle before patting Kagome's shoulder and leaving her office. Kagome smiled after her and then turned her attention back to her work, intent _this_ time to get something done.

(Divider)

"You know Sesshomaru, Rin always seems to be around that Higurashi woman. You hardly need me around anymore, don't you think?" Kagura asked Sesshomaru as she lazily played with one of his pens, "or do you have an alternative motive in keeping me?" she added with a suggestive smile.

"It's Mr. Tashio, and no I do not have an alternative motive in keeping you. Ms. Higurashi is not Rin's permanent sitter," he responded. Kagura had shown up late, as usual, and had become accustomed to Rin playing with Kagome, so hardly bothered in watching her. Rather she seemed to spend more time with _him_ then with his little girl.

"Excuse me,_ Mr. Tashio_, but I think you _do _have another reason. You don't need to be shy around me. I wouldn't care if you told me you're attracted to me," Kagura stated and turned her attention from the pen to him.

"If you plan on keeping your job you won't bring this up again," he remarked coolly. Kagura glared at him for a moment before smiling.

"Whatever you say, _Mr. Tashio_," she murmured but kept her smile intact.

Suddenly Sesshomaru picked up Rin's scent before he heard the patter of little feet against the rugged floor. Moments later Rin came bursting into the room waving her arms frantically around and grinning from ear to ear.

"Daddy you must come see! Kagome's office is full of flowers!" she exclaimed and hurried over to his side to grab for one of his arms.

"Rin, I'm working," Sesshomaru stated sternly.

"Please?" she asked, making sure to give him the biggest eyes she could muster. When he didn't respond she let them water slightly.

"Alright," he sighed and held in the urge to roll his eyes when her expression immediately brightened erasing all evidence of the beginning of tears. Of course she'd play him for the fool, as always.

"Do you want to come Kagura?" Rin asked once Sesshomaru got up from his chair. Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose slightly at the invitation. He thought Rin hated Kagura. The woman huffed and turned her head away from the two, ultimately dismissing them. Sesshomaru had the strongest urge to put the woman in her place, but Rin merely shrugged it off.

"OK, let's go!" she exclaimed excitedly as she pulled on Sesshomaru's hand. He instantly followed, not caring that he was acting submissive to the seven year old. The two walked the short distance to Kagome's office and Sesshomaru had to hold in the need to sneeze when the overwhelming smell of flowers hit his nose. He had to stop for a moment to get his senses under control, but Rin hardly seemed to notice his struggle.

Rin let go of his hand and hurried into Kagome's office, calling out her name with a giggle. His sensitive ears picked up Kagome's voice as well as Rin's.

"Rin! You again? But I saw you five seconds ago!" Kagome exclaimed, but by the laughter in her voice Sesshomaru could tell she wasn't complaining about Rin. The thought that she enjoyed Rin's company as much as he did instantly changed his opinion of her. He hadn't thought bad of her to begin with, but she was definitely winning brownie points.

"Yeah, I brought Daddy with me too!" Rin replied with as much excitement as she normally did.

"Oh," Kagome's laughter instantly disappeared and he wondered why his appearance would do such a thing. Not that he cared.

"You don't need to bother your father with such silly things Rin. I'm sure he is much too busy," she added, her soft voice sounding suddenly guilty.

"Nonsense Ms. Higurashi," Sesshomaru stated, finally making his entrance into her office. The smells up close made Sesshomaru's nose twitch, but he was able to overcome the discomfort quickly. What Rin had said rang true, there were literally thousands of flowers all over Kagome's office.

"Redecorating?" he asked, making sure the curiosity did not show in his voice.

"No, they were gifts," she replied her face falling as if the flowers bothered her.

"From who?" he asked, ultimately losing to his curiosity.

"Your brother," she replied a little hesitantly, and she refused look him in the eye. His distaste must've shown, because when Kagome _did_ look up at him she blushed and immediately looked away.

"Inuyasha the meanie gave you all these flowers?" Rin asked in disbelief, "but he's...a meanie!" she added seeming utterly confused and bothered that such a thing could occur.

"I see," Sesshomaru stated, wondering if she was considering going back to his brother. Oddly the thought bothered him, but he did not understand why. He held no emotional connections to the woman, she was just an employee. The only connection they did have was Rin's enjoyment of their company. It must be because of his hatred for his half brother, there was no other explanation.

"Sessh-Mr. Tashio, should I go back to him?" Kagome asked, as if looking for his approval. He noted that she almost dropped his title, as she had earlier. Strangely enough, he didn't feel bothered by her use of his first name. He wouldn't tell her, of course.

"Why would my opinion matter here Ms. Higurashi? You're personal life is your own business," he answered.

"Well because...I trust you," she admitted. Sesshomaru was a little taken back by her answer. Surely she meant on a professional level. Yet, it didn't explain why she would ask _him_ for advice. The secretary was one of her friends, couldn't she go ask her?

"Do as you wish," he replied, "I have to get back to work," he added.

"Of course. I'm sorry for keeping you," Kagome apologized her voice sounding oddly...cold. Not acting upon the sudden change in her, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and left her office.

(Divider)

Back to work, Sesshomaru hardly noticed the outside world and hadn't heard Rin come in sometime after he had. Kagura was lounging on one of his couches, still seeming to find amusement with twirling his pen. What brought him back was the smell of a flower. His nose twitched slightly as the strong scent filled his nostrils and he looked up from his laptop.

Rin had a purple lily in her hand and was pressing it against her nose, seeming to find the smell delightful. She was sitting in one of his chairs and moving her legs back and forth as she continued to smell the flower.

Kagura seemed to noticed the scent as well because she dragged her eyes from the pen to Rin.

"Why are you so happy smelling a weed?" she asked icily. Rin glared at her before looking away and pulling the flower away so she could stare down at it.

"It isn't a weed. Kagome has a whole bunch of flowers in her office and let me pick one to take with me," Rin replied. Kagura huffed at her before turning to look at the ceiling, as if finding something more interesting there.

Sesshomaru didn't say anything before returning his attention back to his work. So Kagome gave Rin one of her flowers, did she? Though the gesture was thoughtful, Sesshomaru wanted desperately to destroy it. While it was a gift from Kagome, the flowers originally came from Inuyasha. Anything coming from his half-brother ought to be destroyed.

Concealing his anger and hatred towards his half-brother, Sesshomaru kept his thoughts to himself. Rin turned her head to look at him for a moment, but chose wisely not to say anything. She could read him like a book, which he valued most about her. She knew when to speak, and when not to. After finishing up the report of the day's transactions, he closed his laptop with a 'click' and stood up.

"Rin, it's time to go home," he stated and the little girl smiled up at him before jumping out of the chair and hurrying over to his side. Kagura smoothly stood up and joined him after a slight hesitation. He could sense her unease and awkward stance, obviously after her attempt at him failed she didn't know how to act around him.

He ignored her and walked out of his office, not bothering to look at either female as he made his way down the hall. Rin never minded his silence, rather she started humming behind him, signaling that she was happy.

Kagura, on the other hand, seemed to be bothered at her lack of attention from him. The anger inside her was boiling so much that he could practically feel the steam from it caressing his back. Again, he ignored it. Emotions were annoying and weak traits he vowed to one day no longer feel. Of course he'd make an exception for Rin, but that was obvious.

Kagome seemed yet to be another exception. It didn't bother him that he felt _something_ for the woman. He was too strong to try and dig further inside himself and find out just what that "something" was, though. He enjoyed thinking it was a novel experience at having a new, attractive employee on the floor. It would pass soon and she would be seen as any other employee working for him.

Passing her office, he couldn't help but turn slightly to peek inside at Kagome. She had her phone against her ear and was scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Seeming too engrossed in the conversation on the phone, she didn't look up when he passed. He quickly turned away and continued walking. _No, __**this**__ one will be more then just a new employee, much more, _he thought to himself_._

(Divider)

_Ok hope you all liked this chapter! Review Review Review! _


	8. Getting caught in the rain isn't all bad

(Divider)

Kagome had made plans earlier to meet her friends at a coffee shop that evening. They had reasoned it was an apology for not showing up over the weekend for their lunch date. Kagome had honestly forgotten about them missing lunch. She had been so occupied at work that her social life hadn't seemed as much of a priority in her life.

Of course, getting pampered with apologies and a free meal kept Kagome's mouth shut.

Her friends were waiting for her outside the little shop with excited and welcoming smiles. She walked up the curb and hurried over to greet them with her own smile. Each girl hugged her before they entered the shop and talked over general things. They found a booth near the window that was beautifully lighted by the sunset. Kagome sat next to her best friend while the other two sat across from her.

"So, Kagome," her friend Ayumi started, "how are things at work going? I know it's your first professional job,"

"It's going pretty good. Just getting used to the people there. But my boss's daughter is very sweet and makes going to work fun," Kagome smiled and her friends all looked at one another before staring back at her.

"Your boss brings his daughter to work?" Yuka asked as if it were strange. Kagome nodded towards her a little hesitantly, unsure of what her friends were thinking. Essentially, her friends had one mind and she tended to always be out of the loop.

"Is he married?" Eri asked.

"No," Kagome stated after a pause, unsure if he was or not. She hadn't seen a wedding ring on his finger or a woman coming to visit him, "at least I don't think so,"

"A single father? How admirable," Ayumi murmured in delight.

"Wouldn't having your kid at work be a little annoying?" Eri pointed out with a slight scowl.

"She's very sweet and hardly a bother at all. Plus she has a babysitter, though I hardly see her now that I think about it. Her dad is the complete opposite. He's rather cold and introverted, while she's bubbly and outgoing," Kagome stated.

"You talk like you know them really well. Is your boss hot? That'd explain why you know so much," Eri winked and the other girls giggled while Kagome blushed.

"He's...attractive," Kagome said, imagining Sesshomaru in her mind. Truly he was beautiful, but her friends wouldn't understand that unless they saw him in person.

"What company are you working for again?" Yuka asked. Kagome held in her need to glare at her, her friends of all people should remember where she was working!

"InuTashio Corp," Kagome replied, doing remarkably well at hiding her inner anger.

"InuTashio Corp...oh! I read a business magazine about that company, Sesshomaru was going to inherit the company from his dad soon. They have a very sexy picture of him on this month's front page," Eri explained while rummaging through her purse.

"Sesshomaru Tashio? Like _the_ Sesshomaru Tashio?" Yuki asked and Kagome nodded, "he's like the richest business man in Japan and...wow he's like super eye candy. No wonder you're so happy working there! I'd love to switch places with you if you ever need a day off Kagome. Though I don't think I'd get any work done, if you know what I mean," she added with a wink.

"Aha! Found it!" Eri cried in triumph as she threw the magazine onto the table. Smack dab on the cover was a full body shot of Sesshomaru lounging on his leather chair with a folder resting on his lap and his eyes looking out the window.

His whole body spoke the body language of a businessman but his eyes looked like they were somewhere else at the time. By the sheer comfort he showed in the photo, Kagome was sure he had probably been snapshotted without his knowledge. Although he could just look that good on camera, since he did seem to have an uncanny sense of people's presence.

The magazine cover said _Business Weekly_ and a small print indicated that it was Sesshomaru in the picture and that he was that month's most eligible bachelor. Unable to resist, Kagome grabbed the magazine and flipped to the page that had the full story on him.

He had four pages dedicated to him, reward for winning that month's most eligible, and the pages consisted of pictures of him that resembled the one on the cover. Kagome also saw a few pictures of Rin, while much smaller than Sesshomaru's she still got recognition as his daughter.

A small quote under one of Rin's pictures said, "I'm so proud of my Dad, he works really hard and knows what's right and wrong. I hope to be just like him someday!" Kagome couldn't help but smile, hearing the girl's voice in her mind as she read the quote. It proved at least _that_ was valid information, if only valid about Rin.

"The pictures in that article make Sesshomaru look like a God!" Eri gushed with a giggle. Kagome laughed a little, thinking he didn't even have to try to look good, he just did. The other two girls bent over the table to look at the pictures and swooned when they spotted one picture of him walking stone-faced in a hallway with Rin only a few steps behind with a big smile.

"The picture with Rin shows that he's got a soft side behind that stone-face exterior. It makes his character seem so much more complex, and so much more interesting," Yuki observed as she took the magazine and looked very closely at the picture they all had been looking at.

"I saw Inuyasha the other day," Kagome stated out of the blue, wanting desperately to change the subject. Oddly, hearing her girlfriends talk about how hot her boss was bothered her. She wished she could talk so freely about her boss's looks and go gaga with her friends, but she couldn't bring herself up to it.

Maybe it was because she genuinely respected Sesshomaru, and was also trying to protect herself from him. She had made the mistake of freely giving Inuyasha her heart and he had repeatedly stomped on it until all that remained was an unrecognizable clump.

She vowed to never be so weak again. She blushed then, realizing that her reasoning would only work if she was falling in love with Sesshomaru. Was she?

"Oh really? What'd the jerk have to say?" Eri asked and placed her fist in her palm as if signaling she was ready to give him a thorough beating. Eri's question snapped Kagome out of her train of thought, and she took a few extra seconds before answering.

"Well, I saw him and Kikyo together at the restaurant we usually go to on Saturdays..." Kagome relayed the whole story rather seriously, and was surprised how intently her friends were listening. Not that her friends were bad listeners, but they usually liked to veer off the subject every now and then.

"Don't get your hopes up that he's changed Kagome. Obviously he's trying to play you for a fool," Ayumi warned and gently placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder for support. Kagome smiled slightly at her, knowing she was only looking out for her welfare. Kagome just wished her friends could be supportive of Inuyasha, even though they had a rough dating history.

"Honestly, do you think it'll get any better Kagome? It may be fun initially, but he'll end up leaving you for Kikyo again," Eri stated and Kagome felt her eyebrow twitch but she gave her friend a toothy, thankful smile anyway. Eri liked telling people the truth, the brutal truth. Kagome hung her head in defeat, her friends weren't ones to lie just to make her feel better.

"I know he'll probably hurt me, but I can't stand _not_ having him in my life. I feel so...hollow inside whenever he's out of my life. When I saw him in that restaurant my heart felt like it had come back to life! Of course it felt broken, but alive! I hadn't even noticed any other man while he was with...Kikyo," Kagome explained. Ayumi looked sympathetically at her, while the other two crossed their arms and glared at her from across the table.

"I hardly think your heart came "alive" when you saw Inuyasha, it just broke all over again. You just notice the pain when you're with him. It would be better to distance yourself from him. Let him squirm and feel like he isn't enough for you. You hurt enough for his sake, now let him return the favor," Yuki suggested with her arms still tightly crossed and a glare that practically begged Kagome to argue with her. Kagome sighed and ran her fingers up her arms, feeling a strange chill rush past them.

"Oh no, it's raining!" Ayumi observed in sadness. The other three turned towards the window and indeed saw rain. They hadn't even noticed that it had gotten darker and cloudy all of the sudden. It was lightly drizzling, but the women had learned that drizzle here always turned into a downpour.

"We should get something to eat and hurry on out of here before it starts pouring!" Yuki exclaimed. The three girls nodded in unison and hurried over to the cashier to place their orders. Ayumi settled on a cappuccino since she had eaten already before she came. Eri and Yuka order turkey sandwiches and a cup of coffee each. Kagome got a cup of coffee, a brownie, and a roast beef sandwich. It _was_ a free meal after all, Kagome wouldn't waste it.

The three girls split Kagome's bill evenly, since all three wanted her forgiveness. Once they had paid for their orders they went to sit down at the booth they were at before and Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru's article was still opened in the _Business Weekly_.

Remembering his slightly angered reaction at the mention of Inuyasha's name, Kagome closed the article and turned the magazine over as if afraid Sesshomaru's eyes would turn towards her and glare in disapproval.

One of the coffee shop employees came moments later with their orders and placed a large tray at the edge of the table before bowing and leaving. The girls who had food chowed down and Ayumi watched with glittering eyes while she sipped at her cappuccino.

Once the girls finished their food and drinks they all hugged again before they dispersed. Eri said she had to cover a girl's night shift at the hospital and Yuka was driving her so the two girls left in a flash. Ayumi seemed rather antsy as if she had to get somewhere but didn't want to tell anyone. She did pause when she saw Kagome zip up her jacket and start walking away.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Ayumi asked as she pulled out her car keys from her jacket pocket. Kagome smiled and shook her head.

"I only live fifteen minutes away from here and I like walking. I'll be alright, thanks though," Kagome smiled and waved goodbye as Ayumi nodded to her and walked to her car.

Not waiting to see her drive off, Kagome pulled out her mp3 player and put on an upbeat song to try to brighten her mood that was steadily depleting due to the dreary weather. A bit of her saddened mood had to do with the immediate rejection of Inuyasha from her friends as well. Kagome had really hoped they would've supported her and told her he was a great idea like they used to. At least then she wouldn't feel so bad about getting back with him.

After walking a block, the drizzle turned swiftly into a downpour and Kagome glared at the clouds as she felt the rapid fall of raindrops soak her to the bone in mere minutes. If she stayed out too long she'd end up catching a cold. She couldn't think her day could get any worse as she jogged through the rain, wishing she could move faster so she could change and wrap herself up in a warm blanket.

Kagome realized after a few minutes that she still had her headphones in her ears and swiftly pulled them out. Angrily stuffing her mp3 player in her pocket Kagome resumed jogging and stopped only when having to wait for a street light.

After a jogging a good six blocks, Kagome had to stop and take a few breaths of air. She rested her hands on her thighs and felt the beginning of tears coat her eyelids. She couldn't believe she had even gotten into this situation; she deeply regretted not taking that ride from Ayumi.

Just as she had finished cursing her stupidity she felt the absence of rapid raindrops. Looking up in confusion her brown eyes met with amber ones as she quickly recognized Sesshomaru standing there idly with an umbrella. He had it angled so it covered her crouching body, but she noted with guilt that it left Sesshomaru completely uncovered. She saw his suit get quickly covered in raindrops and swiftly stood up and stepped closer to him so he could move the umbrella back and cover the both of them.

He seemed slightly surprised at her sudden movement, but quickly realized why she did it and straightened the umbrella so both had shelter from the rain. Rubbing her soaked forehead and sniffling a little Kagome smiled thankfully at him before speaking.

"We just keep running into each other don't we?" she joked. He didn't laugh in return, but his lips curved into a smirk.

"It seems that way Ms. Higurashi," he responded, "why are you stuck in the rain?" he added curiously.

"I was coming from dinner with some friends. I walked there earlier so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal walking home. Of course it was sunny on the way there and it started drizzling when I left," Kagome laughed, trying to convince Sesshomaru that being soaked to the bone and blocks away from home wasn't that big of a deal.

"Do you not have a car?" he asked.

"No, I do. I just I like walking," Kagome answered meekly.

"In the rain?" he asked, seeming lightly amused.

"No," Kagome laughed, "I didn't think it would rain, I'll have to be more prepared next time,"

"You will get sick," he commented, and seemed rather sure of the fact. The idea that he could possibly _sense_ if she'd get sick or not sent a wave of unease through Kagome. She also thought of how he could sense whenever she was in front of his office, before she even knocked or acknowledged her presence. Was there something more to her boss then just his rather exotic features? Something...demonic?

"I'm sure a warm fire and a cup of soup will do the trick," Kagome commented with a smile, "I'll be fine and ready to work tomorrow, no problem," she added hoping to ease him. He seemed unconvinced.

"Let me drive you home," coming from him it sounded like more of an order than a request. Slightly terrified, Kagome could only nod as he gently took a hold of her arm and pulled her along side him.

She noted that he made sure to keep her close so she could be under the umbrella and wouldn't get any more wet then she already was. Smiling at the odd change of events, Kagome felt her mood lighten and her heart beat quicken when he didn't retract his hand.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes before a limo came into view and Kagome caught sight of Jaken standing by the driver's side with his own little umbrella covering his head. He looked rather impatient, and he only seemed to become more so when his eyes landed on her. A scowl was evident on his face as he looked from Sesshomaru to Kagome and then back to Sesshomaru.

"I don't think Jaken wants me to come along," Kagome noted. While she could fend for herself, when she could she always liked to keep on people's good sides. She already knew that Jaken was a very picky and controlling person from Rin, but had never tried talking to the toad of a man herself.

"Jaken's opinions do not matter. I do what I wish, he has no choice but to obey," Sesshomaru replied, and Kagome felt another shiver of unease pass through her. He said it with no emotion like always, but his voice oozed dominance as if he were exerting his power over the man. And not just a business-like power, but a deeper possibly darker form of power.

"Mr. Tashio! What is this water logged whelp doing with you?" Jaken asked with a huff as he glared at Kagome. She saw Sesshomaru's eyes narrow in disapproval towards the little man and she saw a bead of sweat appear at the side of his head before he quickly fell to the ground in a low bow.

"Please forgive me, Sir! I am but a lowly assistant who does not deserve to serve under you! Even having my head in the mud as punishment for my actions is too good for me!" Jaken stated exasperatedly, his head indeed in the mud.

He didn't get up quickly either, so the two had to stare down at the man for a few unnecessary moments until he figured he had bowed long enough and got up. He grabbed a handkerchief in the breast pocket of his suit to rub at the smear of mud that had appeared on his forehead.

"Jaken, we are making a quick stop to drop off Ms. Higurashi at her home before heading on," Sesshomaru stated after his assistant seemed to collect himself. Jaken nodded hurriedly with a ridiculous grin on his lips before hopping into the driver seat. Not even bothering with asking about Jaken's eccentric behavior, Kagome climbed into the backseat of the limo with Sesshomaru. The limo took off in haste after Kagome called out her address to Jaken and he quickly entered it into the GPS.

Sesshomaru sat across from her and rubbed his temples as Kagome situated herself as best she could. Of course, being completely soaked didn't help and Kagome felt increasingly guilty that she was soaking his seats. Though she wasn't sure if it even mattered since they were leather seats, but she felt guilty anyway.

"Here," Sesshomaru stated and Kagome looked up at him to see him move over in the car to sit next to her. He had his suit jacket in his hands and gently draped it across her shoulders. It was still warm from being on him, and even though it was wet from before the water hadn't soaked through to the inside of the jacket yet.

Kagome smiled a little sheepishly at him before grabbing the collar of the jacket and wrapping it tighter around her body. She instantly felt better and sat back in the seat, just relishing in the fact that she was _warm_. If only her friends could see her now, she thought with a smirk, thinking about how much the girls seemed completely _infatuated_ with the man.

The rest of the ride was in silence, but Kagome was already so grateful to Sesshomaru at that moment that she didn't dare ask for more. Jaken stopped next to the curb of Kagome's apartment building and squawked that they were there and Kagome had to get out. Though another disapproving glare from Sesshomaru shut him right up.

Kagome thanked him and Jaken for transporting her and returned Sesshomaru's wet jacket with a slight blush. She wished she could've met him like this on a better occasion, or at least been dolled up when all this had happened. Thinking it was just going to be a night with the girls Kagome hadn't thought to beautify herself. She'd take better care the next time she went to hang with the girls.

As Kagome reached for the limo door she heard the opposite one open and turned to see that Sesshomaru had gotten out and was walking around to open her door. A little flustered at what a gentleman he was being, Kagome waited patiently for him to come around and open her door. He held out a pale hand for her to take and she graciously grabbed hold.

"If you get sick don't worry about calling off work," Sesshomaru stated as he helped Kagome out of the limo, umbrella ready, "take as much time as you need," he added. Kagome smiled at him before nodding and hurrying up the stairs of her apartment building, Sesshomaru not far behind.

Just as she reached the door to her building she went to pull out her keys from her jacket pocket before realizing that they weren't there. She patted her body and searched all her pockets before, with a look of horror, Kagome turned up to look at Sesshomaru. He merely arched a brow at her.

"I lost my keys," she murmured.

(Divider)

"Yay! A slumber party!" Rin squealed in delight as she embraced a still soaked Kagome when she walked through the door. Sesshomaru watched the two in mild amusement as Rin gushed about all the fun stuff they'd do while Kagome was their guest.

Sesshomaru felt a little uneasy about letting Kagome stay at his house, but he couldn't very well leave the woman standing in front of her apartment building, soaking wet, and in the rain.

So without thinking about the consequences or how it might change their relationship as employees, Sesshomaru offered his home temporarily. Kagome insisted that it would only be two or three days tops, she would need to file for a lock change and a new set of keys before she could get into her apartment. She also informed him that if she had brought her cell phone with her she could've called one of her friends and asked them to house her, but it was sitting on top of her bed in her apartment.

Sesshomaru thought that he could let her use his house phone to call one of her friends, but she was already there and he knew having her leave would only sadden Rin. He had called home right after the two had climbed back into the limo to inform Rin of their new "guest."

As he had suspected, Rin screamed at the top of her lungs in excitement, and told him to get Kagome there as soon as possible. For his own person enjoyment, he put the girl on speaker phone and she barked the orders at Jaken, who in turn yelled back. But after a few seconds of yelling back and forth, and one of Sesshomaru's impatient glares, Jaken gave in to Rin and promised he would try to drive as fast as he could without breaking any traffic laws.

The sound of Rin's perky voice brought him out of his thoughts as he watched the two together. Kagome giggled with Rin as she tugged her hair and twisted it to try and get all the water out. Ignoring the fact that they were getting water all over his tile floor, Sesshomaru cleared his throat as the two females turned to look at him.

"Rin, leave," Sesshomaru commanded and the little girl pouted slightly but took off without a complaint. Kagome watched as the little girl departed and looked mildly surprised at her obedience, but seemed to mentally shake it off as she turned to look back at Sesshomaru.

"I'm assuming you are freezing in those clothes. There is a bathroom upstairs, first door on your left, with a shower. I suggest you go now," Sesshomaru advised and Kagome nodded before she walked up the stairs and turned to the left before he saw her disappear into the bathroom.

He would tell one of the maids with the closest body types to Kagome's to lend her a weeks worth of clothes. He knew she said she wouldn't be staying that long, but if she was picky with what she wore he knew having a bigger selection would appease her.

Sesshomaru turned to walk into the next room before being stopped by an exasperated Jaken.

"Please Sir, let me take that soaked jacket! One such as you shouldn't carry around a jacket that reeks of human," he stated and while he felt like throwing something at him, like one of Rin's pet rocks that were sitting on the stairs, he held it in and just dropped the jacket into Jaken's waiting arms.

Even though Jaken was Sesshomaru's personal assistant, he was also his butler of sorts. He seemed to feel the need to constantly be around him, and put in his input even though he knew his opinions didn't matter to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was utterly unable to get rid of the toad, since his father had entrusted the toad to Sesshomaru as one of his last wishes as owner of InuTashio Corp. Though, Sesshomaru had to admit, while his loyalty was endearing, it was also rather annoying.

"Jaken, once you're done putting away my jacket clean up the mess at the entrance," Sesshomaru instructed. He always had Jaken working like a slave, partially for enjoyment, but mainly for the hope that he would get fed up and quit.

Jaken nodded vigorously before hurrying away, but not before slipping on the puddle of water at the entrance. Sesshomaru smirked at him before walking into the next room to see Rin lying on the couch watching TV. She looked rather bored as she clicked the remote, idly surfing through the channels, evidently not finding anything interesting. She looked over to him and smiled.

"How long is Kagome going to take in the shower?" she asked, sounding rather impatient.

"When she feels better. Be patient," he told her and smirked again, finding it amusing since Rin was usually such a patient child, but when it came to Kagome she completely changed. As if proving his point, Rin huffed and crossed her arms across her little body and glared at the floor, displeased at having to wait.

"Daddy," Rin called once Sesshomaru had turned to leave, "is Kagome going to stay with us forever?"

"No, only until she can change the locks on her door and get new keys," Sesshomaru replied and felt a pang of guilt when he saw the little girl's face fall. He knew he spoiled her, possibly way too much as a parent, but he couldn't help this feeling he had to constantly see her happy and smiling.

Especially after he found out how much she went through and suffered in the first few years of her life... He growled low in his throat, his protective side taking over as he thought about how so many people had hurt her throughout her young life.

Rin seemed to notice his anger because she hurried over and wrapped her arms around his legs in a tight hug.

"Don't be mad, Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to be impatient. It's just that Kagome is my friend! And I was hoping she could be with us forever, or at least for awhile," she apologized quietly, seeming even more upset that she brought out such a reaction from him. He relaxed his features and quieted the sounds coming from his throat as he bent down and rested his hand on the little girl's head.

"I'm not mad, Rin. My mind was somewhere else," he soothed the little girl as Rin broke out into a large grin before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him again. He wrapped one arm around her little body and held her there for a moment before she pulled away and smiled at him again.

"I'm going to my room, if Kagome comes down tell I want to see her right away," she stated and Sesshomaru couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face at how professional she sounded. He saw more and more of himself in her everyday, and couldn't help the amount of pride that filled his heart.

He nodded and she hurried up the stairs to her room, but not before he heard the sound of something being thrown and a squawk from Jaken. He had to be careful, Jaken would suffer a lot more if any more of himself rubbed off on Rin. _Then again it might make things more interesting_, he thought with an inward smirk.

(Divider)

Kagome had just finished her shower and was lazily towel drying her hair. Once she was content with the thick mass, she spotted herself in the mirror and took a moment to take herself in.

She supposed she had a decent body for a woman in her twenties. She was slim but still remained shapely and curvy. She smiled as she took in the curves that showed through the towel that she had wrapped around her body.

With another flip and curl of her hair, Kagome threw her head back and smoothed her waist length black hair away from her face. When she was done she looked back at the mirror before striking a pose and pursing her lips. She giggled as she checked herself out before a knock sounded at the bathroom door.

Wrapping her towel tighter around her body she turned to look at the door.

"Ms. Higurashi?" a female voice called. Letting out a breath of a relief that it wasn't Sesshomaru, Kagome invited the woman in. A woman around the same age as Kagome walked in and held out a pair of jeans, underthings, and a pink sweater. Kagome stared at the woman, confused.

"Mr. Tashio told me to borrow you some of my clothes since you don't have anything with you to wear. Don't worry, they are washed and very clean," the woman assured her. Kagome hadn't even thought about not having any clothes to change into, but was thankful that Sesshomaru had.

She thanked the woman and took the folded clothes away from her and set them on the counter. The woman bowed to her and hurried away, making sure to close the door on her way out.

Kagome changed quickly into the clothes provided for her and was surprised that it was a perfect fit. The sweater fit snuggly against her body, and the jeans were tight without being too tight. Taking one last look at herself, Kagome nodded at her reflection and walked out of the bathroom.

When Kagome stood outside of the bathroom with her used towels she heard voices from the bottom of the stairs. Unable to help herself, she peeked around the corner and saw the woman from before talking with Sesshomaru.

He looked stone-faced as always and the woman was smiling and joking about something before she rested her hand against his arm. Kagome sucked in a breath, curious what he would do from the physical contact and wasn't surprised when he turned those cold amber eyes to the woman and she quickly retracted her hand. She blushed before hurrying up the stairs and nearly bumping into Kagome. Recognizing her, she looked from Kagome's face to the towels in her hand.

"Here, let me take those," she suggested and grabbed the towels rather hastily. Once she had taken hold of the towels she looked Kagome up and down before speaking.

"My clothes fit you well, you look good," she observed and Kagome could hear the jealously that was evident in her voice before the maid took off in a rush. Kagome watched her go before walking down the stairs where Sesshomaru was waiting for her. She saw his eyes travel down her body, taking in her new attire while possibly checking her out, but Kagome wasn't quite sure. Besides he was gorgeous, she was sure she had no chance with him.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked coolly when she reached him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, thanks for letting me stay," Kagome replied.

"It's only until you can get into your apartment," he reminded her.

"I know, but still, thank you," she responded and smiled at him. He didn't return it, but looked up the winding staircase behind her.

"Rin is waiting for you in her room. She said it was urgent," Sesshomaru stated, "It's the last room in the hallway on the right,"

"Urgent huh? I wonder what it could be," Kagome smiled before laughing a little. Sesshomaru didn't respond, but walked away, obviously ending the conversation. Kagome merely shrugged it off, working for the past couple months with Sesshomaru had taught her not to take his silence personally, it was just the way he was.

She turned and took the stairs two at a time before turning right and walking down the hallway to the last door at the end of it. The door looked generic enough, Kagome was surprised at that fact since she had imagined the door decorated with pink banners and posters of cartoon characters.

She grabbed hold of the knob and twisted it, pushing open Rin's door. When her eyes took it all in she knew now why the door wasn't decorated. Rin must enjoy the complete shock that overtakes her visitors when they become temporarily blind by all the colors in her room.

Her room was literally _all_ pink, the walls were pink, her bed and blankets were pink, her rug was pink, even her closet door was pink. She did note that her wall furthest from her had a big window overlooking the backyard, and the wall had been painted professionally.

Flowers of almost ever color coated the bottom of the wall and a large rainbow was painted across it and above the window. Horses were painted running across the meadow and some were grazing on the seemingly endless flower beds.

Kagome also noted that there had to be about a hundred stuffed animals all around the large room. If she had to compare the size of Rin's room to anything she'd have to say it was like putting three of her bedrooms together and calling it her room. Rin was sitting in the middle of the room on a light blue mini rug playing with a puppy stuffed animal. She looked up when Kagome opened the door and smiled widely at her.

"Kagome!" she cried and hurried over to hug her with a light laugh, "come play with me and my friends," she added handing a fox stuffed animal to her and pulling her to sit next to her on her light blue rug. Unable to resist Rin's big smile and obvious enthusiasm, Kagome didn't fight her as Rin explained how she played with her stuffed animals. She played with Rin for a long time until _she_ felt like she was a seven-year old again.

Rin suddenly started to look like she was sleepy and Kagome put her fox stuffed animal down when she saw the little girl's eyelids dropping.

"We can finish their wedding later Rin. Right now you need to get some sleep," Kagome commented and gently took the girl in her arms and stood up. Rin's legs dangled over her right arm and her head rested against her shoulder.

She walked over to Rin's bed and pulled the covers away before putting the girl gently down. Rin snuggled into her mattress and Kagome covered her up with the blanket once she settled down. Kagome smiled down at her before leaving the room in search of Sesshomaru. Now that she had seen Rin she could go to him and find out where she'd be sleeping, and where she could get some food.

She asked one of the maids on her way down the hallway where Sesshomaru was and she pointed towards the opposite end of the hallway. She informed her that it was his study and he was most likely working. Silencing her nerves that he'd fire her if she interrupted his work, Kagome walked confidently down the hallway. She also ignored the whispers from the staff that were commenting on how crazy she was to even _think_ of interrupting Sesshomaru in his study.

Kagome made it to the door and before she could bring her fist up to knock, the door was flung open by a very angry looking Kagura. Her cheeks were flustered and her red eyes looking redder then usual. She looked at Kagome with a scowl before huffing and shoving her out of the way. Kagome watched her form stomping off in astonishment before she heard Sesshomaru call out to her.

"Ms. Higurashi, I was just about to go look for you,"

(Divider)

Sesshomaru was sitting in his study when Kagura strode in, looking more dolled up than usual. She fluttered her eyelashes at him before sitting on the chair on the other side of his desk.

"What did you want to talk about Sesshomaru," she purred as she inched forward in her chair to get a little closer to him. Of course the desk was still in her way, that Sesshomaru was thankful for.

"It's Mr. Tashio, I really would've thought you'd get that by now," he commented and saw her eyebrow twitch but she made no remark, "I wanted to talk about you're future employment with me. It seems you are no longer needed," he added and saw Kagura's mouth drop open.

"B-But Mr. Tashio, you _need_ me!" she exclaimed and stood up quickly to glare down at him. Her stance suggested that she wanted to challenge him and his baser instincts told him to accept it and put her in her place. He growled at her and let his eyes turn red hoping mere intimidation would shut her up. But he wasn't so lucky.

"Don't think that'll scare me. I'm a demon too, Sesshomaru," Kagura hissed, her flawless features scrunched up in anger. His eyes grew darker and he stood up from his chair to tower over the woman, even with a desk between them he could tell she sensed his power.

"Is that a challenge, Kagura? Do you really think you could stand a chance against me?" he asked as the twin purple stripes and a blue crescent moon of his heritage appeared on his face. Kagura seemed taken a back by his human illusion fading away but did not stand down. He knew she was a lesser demon, only the strongest could hide away _all _their demonic features. She couldn't even mask away the color of her eyes, she was just lucky that she could pretend they were contacts.

"I will not let you fire me. Who will watch over Rin?" she asked in rage.

"She is with Kagome most of the time at work, and Kagome is going to live here for the time being. So I no longer need you to be here," he explained, his fangs poking out menacingly from his upper lip.

Kagura was still posing a challenge and he was starting to lose control. Eventually he'd end up fighting her in his study, not caring if his staff heard her blood curdling screams.

Her eyebrows furrowed forward and she stepped back a bit and lowered her head slightly to him, signaling her submission. The redness in his eyes faded slightly at that and his fangs retracted back into their human canines. Knowing she had given up challenging him caused the demon inside to relax.

"Kagome..." Kagura murmured as if trying to place who she was, "the woman who Rin is always bothering?" she asked.

"She isn't bothered by Rin, which is why she is a better choice for the girl," Sesshomaru replied and Kagura looked to the ground before looking back at him.

"But she's hardly as pretty as me," she stated and Sesshomaru didn't bother correcting her. Kagome was _much_ more attractive then the drama queen standing before him. Even soaked to the bone and without any make-up, Kagome was still radiant.

"Fine. I'll leave, but only because _I _want to. Nothing could've happened between us anyway, you are much too boring of a man to hold a decent conversation with," Kagura stated, trying to damage his ego, but Sesshomaru was above all that and knew the only way she'd leave is if she believed that _she_ was the one who chose to.

He didn't say anything, so Kagura huffed and turned on her heel, slowly dragging her feet to the door. She grabbed the knob angrily and basically threw his door open with all her strength. He was surprised she hadn't taken the door completely off its hinges with the force she used. He spotted Kagome standing in the doorway with a look of surprise on her face before she recognized Kagura and was shoved out of the way.

She watched Kagura stomp off and before looking back at him when he called out to her.

"Ms. Higurashi, I was about to go look for you," he stated and she gave him a slightly curious look before walking into his study. She looked slightly tired, but seemed content. He knew she had been with Rin for close to two hours, the little girl could be a handful sometimes.

"I take it that Rin behaved herself?" he asked and Kagome nodded before smiling widely. Oddly that smile reminded him of Rin's smiles.

"Yes, she was delightful. She's asleep now," Kagome answered and Sesshomaru's brows rose at that. Rin was usually full of energy, it took a lot to put her to sleep. It also took a very trustworthy person since Rin was rather uncomfortable around other humans.

"I take it that's hard to do," Kagome laughed, taking in his expression.

"It is. Rin has always been uneasy around other hum-people, and she's never willingly fallen asleep with someone other than me," he replied.

"Oh, I'm surprised. She seemed so comfortable with me that I didn't even think..." Kagome paused to look at the ground for a moment before returning her dark brown eyes back to his amber ones.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad that Rin is branching out towards others," he informed her, "I was worried she may never fully trust people again,"

"If I may ask, why is Rin so untrustworthy of other people? She seems so happy and outgoing that I would never guess she could be uncomfortable at the same time," Kagome asked.

"She's had a...dark past. I'd rather not say, all you need to know is that I adopted her about a year ago and have made sure she never has to go through anything unpleasant ever again," he replied, "if you are so curious I suggest you ask Rin yourself,"

(Divider)

"I see," Kagome murmured feeling her heart breaking for the little girl. What could have possibly happened to such a sweet person? Kagome also couldn't help the respect she felt for Sesshomaru intensify when he told her he had adopted Rin.

It explained why they held no family resemblance, but Kagome had noticed that a long time ago, and assumed she had been adopted. But knowing that he had saved her from a bad situation caused a warm feeling to appear in Kagome's heart and she desperately wanted to thank him for some reason. Maybe for Rin's sake, maybe for the fact that he could be so sweet under that cold exterior.

"You're a good person Sesshomaru," Kagome murmured as she looked into his eyes with a smile, and didn't care that she dropped his title. She had kind of gotten used to calling him by his first name. He didn't seem to care either for he didn't correct her, but merely nodded.

"Can you show me where I'm going to sleep?" Kagome asked remembering why she had gone searching for Sesshomaru in the first place.

"Of course," he answered and walked around the desk to stand before her and, like the gentleman he was, allowed her to leave the room first. Kagome walked a bit awkwardly in front of him, unsure of where to go and possibly uncomfortable at having to lead him.

(Divider)

Humans were a strange mixture of alphas and omegas, or strong and weak personalities when it came to being in a group. Though as humans their roles as one or the other were sometimes hazy and not quite defined, it was the opposite for demons. Sesshomaru had learned from an early age that he was destined to always be an alpha in a group, his actions and thoughts never cast aside for someone else's, and no one ever dared to cross him. Such characteristics were owned by the alpha, or the leader of a pack, alone.

Given the situation, Sesshomaru assumed Kagome subconsciously submitted to him as the alpha, and thus felt uncomfortable leading the one who does not get lead by anyone. Of course humans never saw behaviors towards others as such, they only characterized those traits to animals. Humans were animals as well as demons, so both could not escape the roles that group oriented species took. So Kagome could not escape the role of a lower pack member, as well as Sesshomaru could not escape the role of alpha.

Wanting to end her feeling of unease, Sesshomaru walked faster to move in front of her and allow her mind to relax as he led her down the hall towards Rin's room. He knew Rin would be pleased having Kagome so close and at her disposal whenever she wished for the woman's presence.

Stopping at a door that was diagonal to Rin's, Sesshomaru waited for Kagome to catch up. She had stopped for some reason and was fidgeting with a small note that he guessed was on her person when she got caught in the rain. She put it in her jean pocket and walked quickly over to his side and patiently waited for him to say something or open the door. He decided to do the latter.

Inside was a simple guest room, which he supposed was large by human standards, since Kagome's mouth flew open in surprise. A bed was situated at the right side of the room, the headboard against the wall and the rest perpendicular to the wall it was pressed against. White and red bed sheets were neatly spread across the mattress with matching pillow cases. A dresser was opposite of the bed, pressed against the left wall. His maid Tania had informed him that the week's clothes he had asked her to borrow Kagome were already folded inside the dresser. Other then those two things the rest of the room was rather bare.

"Is this room sufficient?" Sesshomaru asked as he turned to look down at the woman next to him. Kagome looked up at him, her face still looking surprised, and nodded, seeming unable to produce words.

"One of my maids has put a weeks worth of clothes in the dresser," he inclined his head towards the dresser, "and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask the staff," he added and Kagome merely nodded again.

"I'll be working in my study if you need anything from me, but don't strain yourself," he stated, "you need to rest if you don't want to get sick," he wanted to add "because of your weak human body" but held back. Living with Rin and Kagura, who both knew about his heritage, had made him feel comfortable talking about being a demon. Having Kagome here though, he'd have to watch himself.

"Thank you so much, I don't know how I can repay you," Kagome answered quietly, seeming truly indebted to him. What surprised him the most was that she hadn't said it suggestively, as Kagura had the first night she started working for him.

"There is nothing you need to repay," he answered and saw her face light up and a wide smile spread across her face.

"You truly are something else Sesshomaru," she commented and he couldn't help the smirk that played across his lips. He also hadn't failed to notice her increasing tendency to drop his title.

"Get some sleep," he stated and turned to walk out of the room and leave Kagome alone.

"Goodnight!" she called after him happily.

(Divider)

Throughout the next morning Kagome had to hold herself back from calling Inuyasha. She knew that she should give him time to sweat over her before she answered his note. Of course, it was hard to get the man off her mind, especially because her office was still populated by all of the flowers he had sent her.

The only thing that kept her from calling him that instant was the thought of how he had hurt her multiple times throughout their times together and apart from each other.

How many times she had cried over him, or got mad after countless, stupid fights with him. She also had thoughts of her cousin, Kikyo, and how they looked so _good_ together at the restaurant. Surely the love Kagome had seen in his eyes that day couldn't just disappear overnight.

Sadly, Kagome had to admit that the Inuyasha issue was taking up all of her precious time and energy off of work. She was falling _horribly_ behind and she inwardly stressed about how she'd finish it all by Friday.

Maybe if she went to Sesshomaru and talked about it... Wait! Kagome had to stop her thoughts right there, since when did she find it beneficial to tell him about her troubles? Sure he was housing her at the time until she got her apartment lock fixed and a new pair of keys, but that didn't mean their relationship had _changed_ in anyway. Besides, he was probably too busy with his own work to stop and listen to her problems. He would probably just tell her to get her own work done before she went and complained to _him_ about it.

Sighing loudly in defeat, Kagome rested her head against her desk and tried to think of ridiculous, happy thoughts. Like ponies, or rainbows. When that still didn't work, Kagome let out a huff of disappointment before shutting her eyes with a sigh.

If only her mind worked like Rin's, maybe then she'd never be so affected by Inuyasha. She could laugh off all of her inward doubts and say that she was acting silly, and ss if summoned by her thoughts, Rin voice called out for her.

"Hey Kagome! Guess what?" the little girl asked, her smile even evident in her voice. Kagome lifted her head and rested her chin on her hands as she rose her eyebrows at her.

Rin had her hands behind her back and was presently swaying on her feet in anticipation. Rin's smile widened further, and after a moment, she presented Kagome with a black velvet box that she had been hiding behind her back.

Kagome looked at it and then back at Rin before reaching for the velvety box, and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond necklace. It was thin, with little diamonds that went all the way around it. Each diamond was connected to the other in a perfect, octagonal design.

Kagome felt her breath catch when she saw it, and could only look up at Rin in gratitude and awe. The necklace looked anything but cheap, and if Kagome knew her diamonds, (which she did) it had to be a couple thousand dollars for this little beauty.

"Rin...it's beautiful. Thank you," Kagome stated and felt her eyes well up with unshed tears. Rin was so sweet and caring, she had no idea the girl held her in such high esteem. She knew Rin liked her, she had told Kagome that many times, but she never imagined she liked her _this_ much.

"It's not from me! My daddy bought it for you," Rin replied. Kagome's eyebrows shot up at that and her heart raced, could Sesshomaru really have bought her the necklace?

She tried to imagine the cold man proudly walking into a jewelry store to buy a very expensive necklace for an employee, and just couldn't do it.

Sure, he had been a gentleman to her all day yesterday and had increasingly become friendlier towards her (at least by his standards of friendly). He had even allowed her to travel with him and Rin that morning to work. He had even _smiled_ at her on the way over when Rin sat next to Kagome and rested her head against her shoulder and twirled her hair around her little finger. But buying such an expensive necklace for her? It seemed highly doubtful. Kagome's expression turned suddenly serious and she gave Rin a suspicious look.

"Did he _really_?" she asked, and after a couple seconds under her stares the girl started to fidget uncomfortably.

"No...He bought it because I pointed it out and told him I wanted it. But I wanted it for you! And I thought if I said my Daddy bought it for you then you'd like it more," she replied as she nervously looked to the ground and nudged the rug with her foot. Kagome smiled at her before she started laughing.

"Oh Rin, you're too cute. I would love a gift from you or your dad equally," Kagome replied with a gentle smile as Rin smiled before hurrying over to give her a hug.

"I love you Kagome!" the girl declared and Kagome could only smile at her. The little girl couldn't possibly know what she meant by that, but she was sweet and Kagome took her statement as a compliment.

"Am I a bother, Kagome?" Rin asked suddenly, and pulled away to look her in eye with those adorably large cinnamon colored eyes. Kagome blinked a couple of times in confusion before she gave out a light laugh.

"No, of course not sweetheart. Your visits brighten my day, everyday," Kagome replied truthfully, and Rin smiled at her before it fell slightly.

"But Daddy says you're falling behind in work, and I thought maybe it's because of me," Rin said as a look of guilt passed over her gentle features.

Kagome fidgeted slightly, upset that her secret was somehow found out by Sesshomaru already, but she didn't want Rin to feel like it was her fault, because it really wasn't. Kagome lovingly messed up the girl's mane of hair before giving her another hug.

"It's not your fault, it's mine. I keep thinking about...Inuyasha and I get distracted. But you never could bother me, Rin! I can't believe you'd think such a thing," Kagome replied and had to hold in the need to giggle when she saw the girl's nose twitch slightly at the mention of Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha's a meanie and he should get in big trouble for distracting you! I'll tell my Daddy and he'll punish him. I promise Kagome!" Rin reassured her with a confident nod and Kagome bit her lower lip to keep from bursting out laughing at the young girl's antics. She really was a cutie.

"You don't need to get your dad involved in this, Rin. I don't want to be a distraction to him," Kagome answered. Rin looked up at the ceiling and scratched her chin while she seemed to dive into deep thought.

"OK, but promise you'll wear the necklace today?" Rin asked and Kagome smiled before looking down at the diamond necklace.

"I'll wear it everyday, just for you Rin," Kagome answered and Rin grinned before giving her a respectful bow. Kagome unhooked the sparkling necklace from it's cushion and round it around her neck while she clasped the back before pulled the necklace forward and straightening it out around her neck. Seeming satisfied that the necklace was on her, Rin looked out towards the hall before quickly facing her.

"I have to get back to my dad now. I'll see you later Kagome!" Rin called as she waved and hurried out of Kagome's office. Before the woman could call her back she had disappeared into the hallway.

Confused by Rin's random exit, Kagome looked back at her laptop as countless assignments stared back at her and Kagome held in the need to sigh.

Looking down at th necklace that gleamed across her collarbone, Kagome placed a gentle hand against the diamonds before feeling suddenly motivated to work. Rin had believed in her, and only wanted her to be happy and was even willing to try and get Inuyasha in trouble with Sesshomaru. She smiled again at the thought.

"OK Kagome, you can do this. Just take this one at a time," she murmured and reached for her phone to call the first number on her infinite list of contacts.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru was typing idly on his laptop when Rin popped her head into his office.

"Hey Daddy," she called in her excited, perky voice. He paused in typing for a moment, she sounded perkier than usual, and she only talked that way when she thought she knew something no one else did. Curious what the girl had swirling in her mind at the moment, he looked up and caught Rin poking at one of his plants in the corner of his office. Her back was to him so he couldn't see her face and try to depict her thoughts.

"Rin, what are you thinking?" he asked coolly. She turned her head to the side to look back at him before twirling around to face him.

"Nothing," she answered and he smirked, thinking it was probably the first time she hadn't told him one of her secrets. He wondered what game she was playing, but knew he couldn't let her think he was curious. Only when she thought he didn't care would she reveal her "secret" information to him.

Knowing that he had a lot of time to get his work done, Sesshomaru stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked, suddenly sounding a bit stressed. It seemed that him leaving wasn't what she had been expecting.

"I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be right back," he soothed her, and Rin relaxed her tensed shoulders before plopping down on the floor.

"I'll wait for your return then," she replied happily. He nodded at her before leaving the office, but decided on leaving the door open on his way out. He would only be gone for a moment since he really had nothing he needed to get.

He walked down the hall and thought about going to the secretary and asking her if there were any calls for him when Kagome stepped out of her office. She had a pile of papers balancing in her arms and looked completely stressed out, far more than she usually did.

She glanced at the ground for a moment before she suddenly covered her mouth and sneezed. She almost bumped into him on her way down the hallway, her gaze cut off when she had closed her eyes, but spotted him just in time.

"Oh, hi," she greeted warmly. He nodded in her direction and was about to keep walking when something sparkling caught his eye. He looked down at her neck near her collarbone and spotted a diamond necklace, a very _familiar_ diamond necklace.

"Where did you get that necklace?" he asked coolly, ignoring the odd feeling that he could have possible _purchased_ that necklace earlier that morning. Kagome stared at him for a moment before looking down at the necklace.

"Rin gave it to me...she said it was from you," she answered as she blinked up at him, as if confused why he would ask. He almost outwardly flinched at that, he should have known Rin had something up her sleeve when she had asked him to buy that necklace earlier that morning.

Coincidentally she had gotten him to go to the store before Kagome had even gotten up. Unable to think of a way to ask for it back, he grunted and turned on his heel to head quickly back to his office.

"_Rin_," he growled under his breath.

(Divider)


	9. Do I smell a wolf?

_Review Corner_

_llebreknit: I know! I love kids too! Which is probably why I'm having so much fun with this fanfic lol. Thanks for reviewing!_

_SexyDemonGirl5000: Aww glad you love it! Here's an update for you, thanks for the review and keep reviewing!_

_CutieSOS: aw thanks! And I love that you review soo much! It makes me happy :] keep it up! Hope you like this chapter!_

_PurpleLuna: Thanks! Glad you like it! Though I'm not sure how cute it will stay. I have an idea to make it darker, but it's still processing in my head so I don't know if I'll go through with it or not. Thanks for the review! And keep reviewing!_

_Mlmonty: Oh I know, I love Rin so much in the show. The idea popped in my mind since kids usually are manipulating at times, and thought of some cute things for Rin to do :] _

_Sesshy's Mate2012: haha too funny. But don't worry, Rin could never get in trouble with Sesshomaru, he just loves her too darn much :] and she's undeniably cute! I mean who could seriously get mad at her? Anyway thanks for the review lol keep it up!_

(Divider)

Kagome was presently running late on getting some of her paperwork to Miroku as she hurriedly collected all of her work in her arms and checked her desk for any more papers one last time. Miroku had offered to help her catch up and Kagome couldn't even _fathom_ how grateful she was to him.

She walked out of her office and looked down at the floor for a moment, thinking about how far behind she was and how bad and unnatural it was for her. Normally she did everything a head of time to avoid these kinds of situations.

She assumed it was because of Inuyasha's sudden appearance back into her life. She couldn't think straight when she thought about him. She wondered if he was thinking of her…as if on cue she covered her mouth and sneezed. She smiled slightly after, thinking about the the rumor that if you sneezed someone somewhere in the world was talking about you. She couldn't help but hope that person talking about her was Inuyasha.

Suddenly someone's form came into view and Kagome stepped to the side to prevent them from colliding with one another. She was about to keep on walking, but curiosity got the better of her and she looked up from the ground to see that it was Sesshomaru she had almost run into. He was looking at her rather strangely, as if he were studying her features for some hidden secret. Kagome shrugged off the thought and smiled at him.

"Oh, hi," she greeted and he nodded towards her in return. She turned away and was about to continue on her way when she heard Sesshomaru's voice call out to her.

"Where did you get that necklace?" he asked and Kagome looked back to see him looking intently at the diamond necklace resting against her collarbone.

"Rin gave it to me," she answered and, unable to help herself, she continued on to say, "she said it was from you," She wanted to laugh when she saw the look of slight horror and shock that crossed over Sesshomaru's face. It was only there for a moment, but Kagome had gotten so used to his stoic mask that when it cracked every now and then she was able to catch it.

He grunted at her before whirling on his heel and heading back towards his office. Kagome stared after him with worry, hoping he wouldn't go punish Rin for what she had done.

It was harmless enough, that little display from Sesshomaru showed that the necklace wasn't a gift proclaiming his love for her. Rather it was a clever scheme on Rin's part. Kagome smirked at the child's obvious intelligence under all those innocent acts she liked to pull, and was sure she'd pull something else to appease Sesshomaru.

She shook herself out of her inward thoughts when she realized she had meant to go to Miroku's office.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru walked back into his office with an evident snarl on his lips to find Rin still sitting on the floor. She was playing with her hair and looked up at him when she heard him walk in. She flashed him an innocent smile and bounced up on her feet to greet him.

"I waited just like I promised," she announced proudly and Sesshomaru felt his anger slowly diminishing as she hurried over to him and smiled sweetly up at him. _The little girl has you wrapped around her finger_ he thought somewhat bitterly, but the thought soon faded when she tugged on his suit jacket and he saw her looking up at him with large guilty eyes.

"You found out about me giving Kagome the necklace, didn't you?" she asked and her eyes weld up with unshed tears, "please don't be mad," she begged him quietly, her fear evident in her voice and face. He felt his heart melt at her obvious knowledge that her act would upset him, but made sure he kept his face unemotional as his eyes narrowed.

"Don't do it again. If you wish to give Kagome gifts, ask me and I will get it for you," he answered and he saw Rin's eyes light up.

"So you're not mad?" she asked, hopeful.

"No, I'm not mad," he replied and walked around her to sit in his office chair and get back to work. Rin didn't seem to care at the dismissal, she was used to his ways. She merely shrugged it off and went over to his plants to begin poking them intently with one little finger.

After a time, he had gotten a decent amount of work done when Ms. Kito paged him.

"Please excuse me, Mr. Tashio, but there is a Koga Wolf here to see you. He says it's urgent," she informed him. Sesshomaru stared at the phone for a moment, not recognizing the name, but told Ms. Kito to send him in.

"Rin," he called to the girl. She turned around and looked back at him, ready for his next order.

"I need you to be quiet while I talk to Mr. Wolf, can you do that?" he asked and Rin nodded at him before hurrying over to his side.

"Can I sit on your desk? I don't like your chairs very much. Whenever I sit on one, the cushion sucks me in. I always think that it wants to eat me!" she proclaimed and Sesshomaru slightly smirked down at her for thinking such an impossible idea.

"Ridiculous, but if you wish to sit up here then you can," he answered gruffly before picking up her small form and placing her on the edge of his desk opposite of his laptop. She sat facing the doorway and started kicking her legs back and forth while resting her hands on the desk. Thats the scene that the proclaimed Koga Wolf walked in on.

(Divider)

Kagome sat across from Miroku as he looked through her papers and stacked up the choices he wished to work on. While she was positive he was picking the easiest assignments, Kagome had no right to complain, he _was_ helping her afterall. Once he had seemed to pick as much as he was willing to do for her, he handed her the rest and flipped through his choices quickly.

"Alright, I'll work on this stack and give them back when I'm done," he stated and Kagome nodded.

"Thanks again Miroku, you're a life saver," Kagome replied with a smile as she clasped her hands together with a quick bow, "how are things with you and Sango going?" she added, truly curious. She hadn't talked with Sango in a couple of days and felt out of the loop when it came to hearing about their little office affair.

"How nice of you to ask!" Miroku exclaimed with a grin, "it's going good, we see each other once or twice a week and have s-"

"Watch what you say," Sango warned darkly. She had walked by and poked her head in to interrupt Miroku's comment that was most likely an embarrassing fact about their love life.

"Hey Sango," Kagome greeted and the secretary gave her a warm smile before glaring back at Miroku and continuing merrily on her way. Miroku let out a sigh once she left before loosening his tie a bit.

"Is it getting hot in here? I swear I'm sweating like crazy," he mumbled and Kagome laughed before standing up.

"Well I have to get back to my office, let me know when you finish those assignments for me," Kagome stated and waved goodbye to the man. He returned it with his own friendly wave before grabbing his phone and dialing the number for the first contact.

Kagome had just walked out to the hallway when someone suddenly bumped into her from behind and she dropped her papers in reflex. The person let out a grunt of surprise before stepping away from her, and Kagome took the opportunity of space to bend down and grab for the scattered mess.

"Sorry 'bout that. Didn't see ya coming," a man's voice inclined her head to see a tall man with striking blue eyes looking down at her with a playful (and prideful) smirk. He bent down beside her and grabbed a few sheets. Kagome held most of the stack and blushed when they both stood and the man handed her the rest he had picked up.

"It's fine, I should have been paying better attention," Kagome answered with a small laugh directed at herself. The man's smirk widened and Kagome couldn't help but notice that he was rather handsome.

He had long black hair that was pulled up in a high ponytail and tan skin that looked rather unusual since not many people were that tan in Japan. When she looked at his wide smile she couldn't help but think that it looked rather wolfish, like a wolf proudly baring its fangs rather than a man merely smiling at her.

"What's you name? You're very pretty," he boldly proclaimed and Kagome couldn't help but blush like a school girl. Though she knew she was...attractive for a woman, she always liked it when people told her so. Of course being told by a complete stranger _was_ flattering, and a little uncomfortable.

"Kagome Higurashi," she answered with a small smile and he returned it with another one of his wolf grins.

"Koga Wolf is the name, you better remember it 'cause I promise I'll be back for your number," he answered with a wink, "but I'm afraid I have business to get to, so I won't be able to enjoy your company any longer," he added, but gave her a graceful bow before walking around her and down the hallway. Kagome was still flustered when Miroku popped his head out from his office to look around.

"Who was dishing out lines a minute ago, Kagome? I can't _stand_ competition," he growled angrily.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru was a bit taken aback when Koga Wolf walked into his office. He hadn't expected the man to be a demon, but the smell of wolf was all over him and the scent reeked like he wore too much cologne.

He also sensed the demonic aura spiraling around his person, and was rather surprised to sense that he was a powerful demon. Of course he was no were _near _as powerful as he was, but Sesshomaru wouldn't take the demon's power for granted.

"Sesshomaru?" he asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Mr. Tashio," Sesshomaru corrected as the wolf smiled at him.

"My mistake...Mr. Tashio. Cute kid," he added while shifting a glance at Rin who smiled happily at him. She was sitting on the edge of the desk, seemingly excited to take in the new arrival. Sesshomaru didn't reply but watched Rin, slightly amused at how interested Rin seemed to be in Koga Wolf.

"I take it you're doing well?" Koga asked, seeming to want to make polite conversation with him.

"Mr. Wolf, I neither have the time or patience to converse with you. Tell me what you want or get out," Sesshomaru answered and saw Koga take a shaky step back, but his blue eyes did not reveal any amount of fear.

"Fine, we'll do things your way," he growled lightly under his breath before walking up to Sesshomaru's desk and sitting in a nearby leather chair.

"I'm an executive from a neighboring company, we're looking for a merger with InuTashio Corp." Koga stated.

"Which company are you from?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Wolf Electronics, or as our competitors like to call us, Wolf Pack," Koga answered with a smirk.

Sesshomaru had heard of the company, (and the nickname) and was surprised that they _would_ be looking for a company to merge with. From what he had heard from reliable resources, Wolf Electronics only sought to better themselves and others within the company by buying out and taking over other companies and replacing everyone with their own employees.

A rather ruthless tactic, which was why they were given the name "Wolf Pack". They worked like a pack of wolves would, fighting for the better of the pack, but never helping those outside of it.

He supposed he worked almost the same way, the only exception was that he _helped_ out other companies who needed it and thus gained their trust and support for future relations with InuTashio Corp. And frankly, Sesshomaru didn't like working with another company if he could help it, he enjoyed taking control and ruling over it unopposed.

"I suppose you're wondering why we'd come to you with this offer, given the reputation that InuTashio Corp. has with taking full control of all business operations. Onigumo Inc. is trying to buy us out, and to be quite honest, I detest the man running the company. His name's Naraku, or something like that. Met him once and knew right away I'd hate him. I don't think the man has a bit of sense when it comes to running a business. You seem much more equipped then he does," Koga explained. While Sesshomaru had to admit he was flattered at the compliment, he knew Koga must have an alternative motive.

While he had submitted to Sesshomaru's dominant order before, he could tell submitting both bothered and angered the wolf. It would only cause such a reaction if he were an alpha demon.

If that were the case he wasn't sure two alpha demons could possibly work together. One would fight for dominance over the other until one submitted, or died. He figured this Naraku character must be a bigger threat than even he was to Wolf Electronics.

"While your offer sounds genuine, I'm not sure we'll be able to work as a team. Being the two alpha demons that we are, work will be...difficult," Sesshomaru replied truthfully. Koga looked at him for a moment before answering, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"I know that two alphas normally don't run together, but I believe we can. If we share the same beliefs and ways of running a business, I'm sure we can stand one another. I've done a little research on you, Mr. Tashio, and I know that we run our businesses almost as if we were collaborating already," he stated, "since Wolf Electronics only works with electronics and not all other sales items that InuTashio Corp. does we will work under you. We can run the companies as we have been, it would just be a title change is all," Koga added.

"Give me time to do my own research Mr. Wolf, and I'll have your answer," Sesshomaru replied levelly. Koga seemed a little put out at not getting an immediate answer, but nodded anyway.

"Just let my people know," he shrugged and turned to walk out, but paused right before reaching for the doorknob.

"Oh, one last thing," he added with a small, confident smirk, "can I have the number of Kagome Higurashi's office? I promised her earlier that I'd drop by,"

(Divider)

"Here," Sango placed a mug of hot cocoa on Kagome's desk as she sat in a chair across from Kagome's desk.

"Thanks Sango, you're the best," Kagome smiled as she grabbed the mug and blew on the hot liquid a couple of times before taking a sip.

"It looks like you needed it, you've been locked up in this office for two hours now. You've never closed your door before," Sango observed with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, I'm falling behind in my work. Miroku is helping me out. Please don't tell Sesshomaru, he'll have my head," Kagome mumbled as she put the mug down to rub her temples and rest her elbows against the desk.

"You mean Mr. Tashio? Since when did you start calling him Sesshomaru? I didn't think the Lord of Ice would let anyone get that familiar with him, other than Rin," Sango asked with a curious light in her eye. Kagome blushed slightly and sucked in a breath, she had slipped again! And to Sango of all people! She looked up to see Sango was still awaiting an answer before she let her arms fall onto the desk and rested her forehead against the hard wood.

"I lost the keys to my apartment when I tried jogging home yesterday. I was trying to get home as fast as possible since it was pouring out. Sesshomaru was driving from somewhere and saw me, and offered to drive me home. But when we finally got there I realized that I lost the keys and didn't know what to do," Kagome blurted out and came clean to her friend.

"So what happened then?" Sango pushed.

"Well Sesshomaru offered to let me stay at his place," when she saw Sango's face light up she waved her hands back and forth frantically, "it's not what you think! It's just until I file for a lock change and a new pair of keys. _Nothing_ is going on!" Kagome assured her.

"But you could've gone to one of your friends' places, but you didn't, did you?" Sango teased as she wiggled in her chair, "oh how I love office affairs," she added with a wink.

"It isn't an office affair, or any kind of affair for that matter! My phone is sitting in my apartment," Kagome tried to explain, and save what little dignity she had left.

"_Sure_ Kagome, say what you want," Sango teased again before sitting back with a confident smirk and her mug resting close to her lips.

"Ugh, it's no use fighting with you. I need to work," Kagome groaned as she rested her head back on her desk.

Her phone started to ring a few seconds later and Kagome hurried to answer before Sango's knowing smirk drove her crazy.

"Ms. Higurashi," Sesshomaru's voice rang in the receiver, _fancy that_, she thought and nervously looked over to Sango hoping she wouldn't hear his voice. But by her widened eyes and her lips mouthing the name Sesshomaru she could tell she already knew. Kagome hesitated for a moment, but nodded towards her and Sango squealed softly in excitement.

"There's a Koga Wolf coming to see you," he informed her and Kagome turned her head to the side, trying to place a face with a name. Then she remembered the man who had run into her a little earlier, the one with the wolf smile.

"Oh, OK. Thanks for letting me know. Goodbye," Kagome thanked him and hung up the phone.

"What'd he say?" Sango asked curiously.

"Koga Wolf is coming to my office,"

"Koga Wolf? The business executive for Wolf Electronics?" Sango asked back with a blink of surprise.

"I don't know! How do _you_ know these things?" Kagome exclaimed in dismay as Sango laughed.

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and now Koga? Have you done something to your hair Kagome? If you have you better let me in on your little secret cause I wish I had as much luck with wealthy businessmen as you seem to have," Sango stated and winked at her causing Kagome to let out a well needed laugh.

"Believe me, if I knew what I was doing I'd stop it," Kagome smiled, "well I'd tell you first, then I'd stop it," she added with a grin, which Sango returned.

"Well, do you think I should leave? I don't want to ruin your romance," Sango asked with a playful smirk and Kagome shook her head in return.

"I hardly know the guy, and I don't think I'd want to spend time alone with him anytime soon. He seems a bit arrogant," Kagome answered and Sango merely shrugged her shoulders.

"So is Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru is _definitely_ arrogant," she replied nonchalantly as Kagome playfully socked her in the arm.

"That isn't making me feel any better Sango," Kagome answered and Sango was about to say something but was interrupted as Kagome's door was flung open and Koga Wolf proudly strolled in.

"Hello there, my angel," he greeted, "and angel's friend," he added, looking at Sango for a moment. Sango's eyebrow rose at that and she looked at Kagome, but Kagome merely shook her head, signaling she didn't know why he called them that either.

"Mr. Wolf...what a pleasure," Kagome stated with a sarcastic undertone and a smile that was a bit forced. He didn't seem to notice either, or chose to ignore it altogether.

"I'll leave you two alone," Sango stated suggestively and winked at Kagome before taking off. Kagome could only watch helplessly as her friend left her alone...with Koga Wolf.

"I came back like I promised I would. I hope you're willing to give me your number and maybe go out to dinner with me sometime?" he asked, his confidence evident in the way he held his head high while asking her. He also didn't break eye contact either, proving that he was more than ready to face whatever answer she gave him.

"Uh...well I don't know if giving my number to you is the best thing to do right now," Kagome stated and nervously giggled.

"But surely you find me attractive? I'm strong, wealthy, and handsome. What else would you possibly want in a mate?"

"A mate? Who said anything about becoming your mate? I thought this was just an invitation to dinner!"

"When I laid eyes on you today I knew you'd be the woman that I make mine, Kagome,"

"OK...that's a little creepy,"

"Hardly, I know what I mean when I say that I want you to be mine. As wolves we can sense who would be most compatible with us as mates. When I had a whiff of your scent today I knew we'd be together forever,"

"Wait, you're saying you're a wolf? What are you talking about?" Kagome asked and knew by his slightly confused expression she was probably looking at him like he was crazy.

"Sesshomaru didn't tell you...?"

"Tell me what?"

"We're demons,"

(Divider)


	10. Alright boss, now we REALLY need to talk

_Whoa this review corner's gonna be HUGE cause you guys are just awesome enough to review :D I have to tell you all that you make me feel all warm and bubbly inside whenever you do review, so keep it up! _

_Review Corner_

_llebreknit: Haha no Kagome won't faint, but she'll be pretty peeved and no Sesshomaru can't hear them, but he guesses that Koga will tell her. And yes Koga has a big mouth lol thanks for your review!_

_CutieSOS: haha nice, I love those endings! I was so happy when I came across it last chapter :) thanks for the review!_

_SexyDemonGirl5000: haha I love your "EH!" that was hilarious! Anyway here's your update :) keep reviewing!_

_Sesshy's Mate 2012: here's your update! :) keep on reviewing, you're doing awesome!_

_I move the stars for no one: aw thanks so much for your review, and I'm glad you like my writing. It took forever for me to get the flow right, so its great to hear :) Here's your update, hope you like it!_

_Estelin: thanks for your review :) I can't believe my work was "excellent" that's so nice of you to say! Keep reviewing please!_

_Firefly-Lives: thanks, that makes me feel so much better when I know my fans will enjoy whatever installment I put up :) keep reviewing!_

_Dragonfly422: haha, more like Kagome's gonna be mad and Sesshomaru better watch out! ;) keep reviewing!_

_kikiome: glad you really liked the chapter :) hope this one is good too! Keep reviewing!_

_Sousie: love when I have people in anticipation :) here's the next chapter, keep reviewing!_

_AmIOtaku: haha WHOA Inuaysha disliker in the house lol. No worries, Inuyasha won't suffer physically, but he will emotionally. He's basically going to chase after Kagome and sulk everytime she rejects him. Keep reviewing! _

_Knifethrower: Haha yes Koga does have a tendency to say too much sometimes :) keep reviewing please!_

_Lady Kami of Dreams: haha how can I? Because I'm awesome lol jk. Here's the next chapter for you though! Hope I wrote it fast enough :) _

(Divider)

"You're...joking..._right_?" Kagome asked, feeling a little disjointed at the idea that demons were even real. Maybe Koga was just nuts and for some reason _believed_ that he and Sesshomaru were demons, though she couldn't shake off the fear that he was possibly telling her the truth.

"'Course not! Who would joke about it? It's a fucking _honor _to be a demon," Koga replied proudly and Kagome glared at him.

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" she yelled angrily at him with a scowl.

"Sorry..."

"So you say you're a...demon. What kind are you?" Kagome asked after getting over her initial anger at Koga's foul mouth.

"A wolf demon. I'm the leader of my pack back home in the mountains," Kagome couldn't help but think he was even crazier than before, and _that_ was saying something since he was already categorized as crazy in Kagome's mind. He smirked at her as if reading her thoughts, and rested his elbow against the wall as he looked away for a moment before returning his blue gaze to her dark brown eyes.

"You don't believe me do you? I guess I'll just have to show you," Koga stated with a heaved sigh and when Kagome sent him a confused look he pushed off the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.

Kagome watched him carefully before noticing his body start to change. His ears began to morph and became pointed at the edges and when he opened his eyes she was met with pupil-less blue eyes. As if that wasn't enough, he gave her his wolf grin and Kagome was sure she saw fangs, _real_ fangs.

She gasped before coming closer to him and motioning him to open his mouth wider. He complied and she gently ran her finger under his sharpened tooth and felt the fang prick her finger.

"Wow..." she murmured and couldn't really explain her feelings any other way. Her mind kept denying it, and thinking Koga just wore a lot of makeup that made him look like a demon, but he had morphed right in front of her!

"I told ya," Koga answered rather awkwardly since his mouth was still hung open for Kagome's pokes and prods, so it sounded more like 'I rode yeo.'

"I didn't think demons were real...but _this_ has to be some kind of concrete proof. Why isn't demon existence common knowledge?" Kagome asked and retracted her hand so Koga could speak properly.

"I don't know. I don't have a problem telling humans what I am. It makes persuading them _so_ much easier," Koga explained while he shrugged his shoulders, "but I'm guessing Sesshomaru does since you didn't know he was one," he added in a serious tone. Kagome nodded slowly and thought of how she would tell her boss she knew what he was, what he _really_ was.

"Well I don't want to take precious work time away from my angel, so I'll leave. What's your number babe?" Koga asked and Kagome could literally feel herself fume at the mouth. Who did this guy think he was, some kind of irresistible _god_?

"No, and I'm not your _babe. _And I don't want to be your_ mate_ since I barely know you," Kagome stated angrily and saw what looked like a hurt expression cross his features before he smiled.

"Alright, this'll make things interesting. I'm always up for a chase," he stated with another wolf grin and whirled on his heel before leaving the room.

Kagome watched him leave, dumbfounded at the guy's inability to understand the word "no." She rolled her eyes and gave out an exasperated sigh before thinking she should go talk to Sesshomaru. It would be too awkward to try and act like she didn't know that he was a demon. Plus she was peeved that he wouldn't tell her he was a demon as Koga had just done so easily. Why was he trying to hide his heritage from the world?

"OK Sesshomaru, I'm on my way so you better be ready for me," she seethed, mentally preparing herself for the worst as she walked out of her office and closed her door softly behind her.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had just sent Koga off to Kagome's office when he remembered that Koga didn't go by the same rules as he did when it came to acting like a human. Surely the wolf would make a fool of himself in front of Kagome and she'd come stomping into his office demanding answers.

He sighed and closed his eyes, wondering how he would handle the situation when it came, because he _knew_ it would. If not soon, eventually. He was positive someone would slip and she'd find out about his deep dark secret.

As if reading his thoughts, he heard the loud stomping of high heels against the wooden floor and could smell Kagome's scent coming steadily closer to his office. He rested his elbows on the desk and clamped his hands together, intertwining his fingers as he braced for her entrance. Rin seemed to note his unease and her eyebrows furrowed forward for a moment before Kagome flung open his office door.

To be completely truthful, he felt a very human chill crawl up his spine when she shot an angry glance in his direction, and he was sure he saw fire in those dark brown depths. He wasn't quite sure if he was imagining things, but suddenly he felt his office get incredibly hot to an almost unbearable degree. He had _never_ felt this way. No one made Sesshomaru uneasy. Not even his father who, up until recently, had been far stronger than himself.

"Kagome!" Rin cried happily and jumped off his desk to hurry over and greet the woman with an ethusiastic hug. He noted, with slight envy, that the child seemed oblivious to the obvious raging anger inside the older woman's eyes. Kagome seemed to calm for a moment and gave Rin a hug in return before bending down to her eye level.

"Hey Rin, do you think you could let your father and I talk for a little bit, alone? It would only be for a short while, then you can have him back," Kagome asked in a soft, gentle voice. Rin cocked her head to the side and seemed to think it over before casting a glance back at Sesshomaru.

"Is that OK, Daddy?" she asked sweetly and he nodded, knowing whatever Kagome had to say must be inappropriate for Rin's ears if Kagome wanted her to leave. She gave him a smile before returning her eyes to Kagome and giving her another hug before skipping out of the office. Kagome smiled after her and gently closed the door before turning around to look back at Sesshomaru.

He felt another icy chill run up his spine when the fire returned to her eyes and he inwardly growled at himself for being afraid of a human female's temper. It both angered and intrigued him that she could have such of an affect on him.

"Do not look at me that way Ms. Higurashi," he commanded nonchalantly as he looked back at her with emotionless eyes.

"You lied to me, so I can look at you anyway I want," she growled back, full blown defiance burning right along with her anger in her eyes.

"Lied? Do tell, what did I lie to you about?" he asked, peaking his voice slightly to make it seem like he had no idea. He could smell Koga's scent all over Kagome, and knew at that moment that the wolf had spoken with her, and by her anger, he assumed he had told her about his heritage.

"That you're a demon!" she yelled at him before covering her mouth and looking back at the door. She looked through the glass for a moment before dropping the volume of her voice, "you could've at least said _something_," she whispered angrily.

"Do you really think you would've believe me if I had?" he asked back and saw her anger falter slightly before it returned.

"I may not have initially, but if you had shown me _proof_ like Koga just did, then I would have. The man transformed into a...totally different person right in front of my eyes!" she answered, still in a whisper.

"You do not need to fear anyone hearing us. The door is sound proof," Sesshomaru informed her, slightly off topic given that he knew all along her voice could not be heard outside of his office.

"Oh, well that's a relief," Kagome sighed, temporarily distracted at the fact of no one hearing her speaking that her anger diminished for a moment. She stepped away from the door to walk up to his desk.

"Does anyone working for you know you're a demon?" Kagome asked curiously.

"No,"

"Then you're lying to everyone!" she cried out, her anger returning to those twin, dark brown orbs as quick as wildfire. Sesshomaru watched Kagome, interested on how her anger seemed to take her over instantly and she became a very terrifying individual. He even thought she could fair very well against an enraged demoness.

He could not deny that the bold trait in her was rather...attractive. No one had the courage to even raise their voice around him, and Kagome even knew what he was and that _still_ didn't seem to faze her.

"Hardly, if humans knew what I was they would not want to work for me. They would rather try and find a way to kill me. I only wish to live in peace among the human population," while the last part was somewhat of a lie he knew saying that might cool Kagome down. He also did somewhat want to live in peace, more for Rin's sake than his own.

The little girl had gone through so much, and he knew that if she were constantly on the run with him she would never be happy. Being stationary sent Sesshomaru's darker side reeling, but seeing Rin content and smiling helped cool the beast within. But he could not tell Kagome that, for she would not understand. No human would understand.

"Not all humans would try to. I'm sure there would be a way for demons and human to coexist," Kagome stated, her anger seeming to falter again, at least for the moment.

"Such nativity you possess, Ms. Higurashi. Demons and humans did coexist at one point, but it brought more bloodshed and pain than actual happiness. Humans don't seem capable of having anything above them in the food chain, and with the dwindling number of demons we do not try and test their tolerance of us," Sesshomaru explained. Kagome looked at him, her aura had suddenly changed from an angry red glow to a soothing blue and she quickly looked away from him when he narrowed his own eyes, trying to read her inner emotions.

"I didn't know...But there has to be a way for you to tell people. It has to be terribly lonely to have to hide your true self from everyone," Kagome stated in a soft, forlorn tone. Her dark brown eyes slowly traveled from the floor back to his golden orbs and she gave him a soft, sympathetic smile.

"Rin knows," he blurted out, and she slightly frowned at him.

"And she still acts the way she does even when knowing you're a demon?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru nodded.

"Rin is a very accepting and open minded child," he added.

"It seems so," Kagome murmured in agreement, "I figured she didn't know that you were a demon, and I didn't want to scare her. That's why I asked her to leave earlier,"

"What do you look like underneath your human disguise?" she asked suddenly, her voice sounding truly curious. He rose a single eyebrow at her before smirking.

"Do you think you could handle the sight of me? I can look quite terrifying," while he was truthfully teasing her, he made sure his voice did not give that fact away. His voice came off cold and intimidating, and by the way he saw Kagome's face flash a sign of fear he knew it was working. But she surprised him again, for she quickly recovered and looked at him with determination in her eyes.

"Yes, I can handle whatever you really look like," she answered, and he couldn't help but smirk again at her. Had they been in a completely different situation and demons were still feared by humans he would've killed her for her foolish curiosity. But now he had a reputation and promise to keep, and Kagome was far too interesting of a human to kill. Not to mention Rin favored her immensely.

"I cannot fully transform here, but I'll show you the marks of my heritage if you truly are curious," he answered smoothly and closed his eyes momentarily, focusing on removing his human illusion.

Slowly he felt the twin magenta strips and blue crescent moon appear on his face, along with the growth of his fangs, ears, and claws. His traveling companion, the mokomoko, also began to slowly appear as particles gathered around his shoulder and the fur suddenly appeared coiled around him. When he opened his eyes he noted that Kagome had taken a few steps back and was staring at him in complete shock.

"Oh," she breathed once he had finished and openly stared at him, almost seeming transfixed by his appearance. He wanted to throw back his head and laugh at how scared she looked and to ask where her precious confidence had gone but decided against it. It was better if he didn't egg her on, he was sure she had been riled up enough for one day.

"You look so..." Kagome began but stopped and bit her lip. He could tell she was fighting within herself with what she wanted to say, but assumed it was nothing important.

Sesshomaru stood up from his desk and slowly walked towards her, enjoying the smell of her fear even though he knew he shouldn't. The smell of prey frozen in fear was almost unbearable and he could feel his mouth water as he took in the sight of her, nearly shaking all over. _So vulnerable...and so tempting,_ he thought darkly as he walked around her and reached for the blind that hung above the door and pulled it down to cover the glass. That way no one could see him in his true human-like form, or try and come in, curious why the two were together, alone, in his office.

"W-What are you doing?" Kagome stammered as he felt her fear intensify and it hit his nostrils like a shock wave. He let the smell overwhelm him and relished in the feel of the predator stalking it's frightened prey. He hadn't felt the feeling in so long he could almost say that he felt drunk with power. He smiled at her and by her widening eyes he guessed his fangs had grown even more, and that he looked quite menacing.

"Sess-Sesshomaru, please stop. You're – you're scaring me," Kagome murmured with an obvious quiver to her voice, though Sesshomaru had known that fact for awhile. His vision darkened slightly when he saw her back up and bump into the desk, with him only a few feet away, forcibly blocking her exit.

His darkened vision was a sign that his eyes had started to turn red. If he was not careful he might lose control. His body called out for her, and he felt the need to kill so powerful he was almost uncertain if he could sate it with just _one_ human life.

Kagome's hands pressed against the desk as she held onto the edges for dear life. He could see her knuckles turning white and could smell the cold sweat that was starting to bead on her forehead. He took a few steps forward and her increasing fear called to his demon like a lover's touch. He stopped within reaching distance of her and let his nostrils flare, taking in one last deep breath of her as she stood frozen against his desk.

"Please Sesshomaru, don't do this," she begged quietly and sucked in a breath when his hand reached out and gently brushed a strand of raven hair away from her face. He let his claws gently run down her neck and could feel her shiver from his caress.

Her human skin was so soft, so tempting. He knew it was strange for him to lose control of his stoic demeanor, but with Kagome it seemed almost _too_ easy to lose himself. She gasped when he replaced his claws with his lips as he traced soft kisses, and every now and then flicked his tongue across the pale flesh of her neck.

She shuddered as he moved closer and towered over her, pressing her completely against his desk. His body pressed against hers as he felt like every muscle in his body was nearly singing as he run his hands through her raven locks and allowed his fangs to gently slide along the side of her neck. His predatory instincts kept trying to get him to bite into her neck and kill her, but his mind fought against the beast, the pleasure he felt strong enough to appease the demon inside, for the moment.

Kagome shivered underneath him, but by the way her hands gingerly came up and ran through his own hair, he knew it was a shiver of pleasure rather than fear.

"Sesshomaru..." she murmured his name and he sucked in a deep breath, the sound of desire snapping Sesshomaru out of his trace-like state. He looked down at her and couldn't help the possessive growl that rumbled through his chest as he took in the sight of her laying across his desk, her raven hair surrounding her head like a dark halo. Her dark brown eyes were glazed over in desire and her fingers were still tangled in his hair.

He pushed himself up and took a step back, willing the need of her to go away and for his demon side to lay dormant once again. Kagome sat up looking confused and slightly hurt as she opened her mouth to say something.

Unable to contain himself from the little pleasure, he bent down and caught her lips in a swift kiss. She stiffened at the quick motion, since he had moved with his demonic speed rather then his human one, but returned the kiss before he pulled away again. Though the swift kiss was not as satisfactory as other things could be, he'd have to be alright with it now.

"Not here," he explained gruffly and he saw realization spark in Kagome's eyes before her whole face heated up and she looked away with a deep blush.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that to you. Not after you told me it scared you," Sesshomaru murmured, unsure where this compassionate side of him was coming from. But for some reason he didn't want Kagome to be frightened or angry with him, or to feel used in anyway by his demonic urges.

"It's alright..." Kagome murmured in return before her red face darkened even further, "I mean it's not alright that you did that, but it's good now because it came out OK...well, better then OK—Ahh! I mean it was better then OK since you didn't hurt me!" she stammered, and Sesshomaru couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at having such an affect on her. It was comforting that the magnetic pull towards her wasn't one sided.

He reached out a clawed hand, signaling Kagome to take it, and helped her to her feet. When she seemed stationary he let the human illusion reappear and cover all the things that gave away his heritage as a demon. His stripes, crescent moon, ears, claws, fangs, and mokomoko disappeared within seconds and he was sure he looked as normal as he always had. Kagome watched the transformation with interest.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"My father mastered the skill and taught it to me and my brother," he stated, "most demons followed suit since it was much more convenient to be seen in this world as a human,"

"Wait, Inuyasha is a demon too? Does he look just like you do?" Kagome asked, her interest in his brother sending an odd jealous chill to run up Sesshomaru's spine.

"He is merely a half-demon. He has less features that give away his demon heritage. He only needs to hide his claws, fangs, and ears. He bears no strips or crescent moon," Sesshomaru answered. Kagome looked at him for a moment, but didn't seem really there, as if she were day dreaming.

"So he wouldn't look as beautiful as you do?" she asked in a shy whisper.

"You think my demon form is beautiful?" Sesshomaru asked, slightly surprised, though inwardly was taken aback by her observation. No one had ever told him that, he had always heard that he was terrifying, menacing, and hideous, but never beautiful. Well, Rin had told him once she thought he was pretty, but she was seven, and she didn't seem to think the same way as many other humans did.

"Yes, in a deathly, intimidating kind of way," Kagome replied, her words ringing true, and the appreciation of him and his demonic form evident in her gentle voice. He stared at for a moment, trying to place what emotions he felt fill his chest, for they were somewhat new and strange to him. His heartbeat felt slightly quicker then usual, and a pain filled his chest that he couldn't place. It wasn't a physical pain really, more of an emotion-like pain that seemed to hit him square in the heart.

"I'm back!" Rin cried as she flung open the office door, seeming to be bearing presents. Her random walk in startled Kagome, and Sesshomaru saw the woman nearly tumble over herself in surprise.

Sesshomaru turned to see his daughter walk up to them with little covered cups. She presented him with one and Kagome with the other before pulling out a third that she had stuffed into her pocket. Upon closer inspection he saw that she had brought them ice cream, possibly stolen from the employee lounge area. Plastic spoons were taped across the cover and Sesshomaru pulled off the spoon before opening his cup.

"It's vanilla ice cream, I know it's your favorite," Rin proclaimed proudly. Kagome smiled at her and opened her cup too.

"I didn't know what kind you liked so I got you vanilla too," Rin added, noting Kagome looking inside her cup curiously.

"Thanks Rin, that was very thoughtful of you," Kagome smiled and the two girls dug in. Sesshomaru wasn't hungry, he wasn't really _ever_ hungry, and set aside the frozen human treat. He would eat it later if Rin asked him to, but until then he wouldn't eat human food.

The two girls talked together and Sesshomaru thanked Rin silently for her intrusion, for he did not know how Kagome and he would've acted in the obvious awkward situation that they were in now. Rin, being oblivious, could easily be the relief between the two, at least for a time.

"Rin, are you ready to go?" Sesshomaru asked, knowing after what had just happened there was no way he would be able to work. He would make up for the lost time tomorrow, but for now he just wanted to leave his office. Rin placed the ice cream cup on her lap before smiling at him, an faint ice cream mustache decorating her upper lip.

"Yup!" she stated happily.

"Kagome?" he asked and she nodded at him, but immediately stiffened and gave him a surprised sideways glance. He was momentarily confused at her reaction before he realized that he had dropped her title.

Unable to take it back, he covered his expression with his stoic mask and pretended like it wasn't that big of a deal. Kagome looked away when she seemed content with his response to her surprise, and he saw a slight smile spread across her face.

"Let's go," he commanded as the two females nodded in unison.

(Divider)

_Oooh, the first kissing scene in my story! It's always my favorite part in all my stories, the first physical sign of affection and attraction! Hopefully it wasn't too much! ^-^_


	11. Rin's cunning and craftiness

_Whooooooo! A whole bunch of reviews for the last chapter! You all are awesome! I love you all :) _

_Review Corner_

_SlashnYaoi: thanks again for letting me know about the little mishap before, if you didn't say anything I don't think I would've noticed XD _

_llebreknit: yay I love first kiss scenes like I said before lol, and no Sesshomaru doesn't really see him as a threat, he doesn't even know that happened between the two yet. Thanks for the review!_

_Lady Kami of Dreams: haha loved your review! Made ME wiggle in my chair all excited to read it. Here's the next chapter for you. There's be more romance ;) so be ready. _

_PurpleLuna: aww sorry :( I know I wish Sesshomaru was real too, oh how wonderful that would be... lol Thanks for the review!_

_Sesshy's Mate2012: here's the next update! Thanks for the review!_

_AmiOtaku: haha sorry about saying Inuyasha hater, I was only joking but I guess its hard to tell in typing lol. Anyway I know where you're coming from! Him going between the two Ks is really annoying... Anyway thanks for the review!_

_Kikiome: glad that you liked the way I wrote it :) more romance in here so hopefully that'll be good too! Thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: haha awesome response to the chapter lol here's another chapter! Thanks for your reviews! I love that you review me so much :) _

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: I missed your long reviews! I was worried you lost interest or something! Anyway to answer all your questions: Sesshomaru just said that to Kagura to get her out, as I mentioned before he doesn't like her at all, and she stopped watching Rin and moved onto him, and he doesn't see her as a permanent sitter (yet) but Rin spends so much time with her that she kind of is as a default. Second question: to be honest I forgot about the diamond necklace when I wrote that XD but yea they would be on her. And because it was a gift from Rin he would only smell her on there, and wouldn't see that as a threat at all. Third question: Sesshomaru was losing control initially so saw Kagome as a food source. Kind of like throwing a lamb in a lion's den kind of situation. But he was able to change it when he caressed her and his mating desires overpowered his hunger desires. It was basically what you said about it blending together. Anyway this is really long lol, thanks for the review I was really happy you hadn't given up on me! _

(Divider)

Kagome sat patiently in the limo with Rin resting against her shoulder, as Sesshomaru sat across from her. Though they were a good distance apart from each other, Kagome couldn't help but feel as if he was pressed up against her again. The thought sent delightful chills up her spine as she felt her face heat up, picturing what they might have looked like together.

She sneaked a peek at Sesshomaru through hooded lids to spot him staring out the window, seemingly oblivious to all the things around him. He seemed to do that a lot...retract himself from the real world for the presence of a world of his own.

It reminded her of his photo on the magazine cover her friend Eri had shown her. Kagome was about to comment on it, but bit her lip and looked down at the ground. She was still flustered from their little "scene" in his office, and unsure how she should react to it and to him.

Did Sesshomaru have feelings for her? Or did transforming into a demon bring out darker urges that he couldn't control, lust being one of those dark urges? Either way, Kagome couldn't deny that _she_ felt _something_ there. She just hoped it was the former rather than the latter with him, since then she wouldn't need to be as cautious around him.

"Kagome?" Rin called out to her softly, her gentle voice bringing Kagome out of her questioning thoughts. She looked down to see Rin slowly flutter her eyelids open before she turned her head up to look back at her.

"Are you getting sick?" Rin asked and raised her arm up so she could place her little hand on Kagome's forehead, "you feel really warm," she explained. Kagome smiled and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine Rin. I was just thinking about some things," she answered, and blushed even more hoping Sesshomaru wouldn't catch on to what she meant.

She sneaked another peek at him and saw that he hadn't moved his body, but his golden eyes were staring straight at her. _Oh no! He probably knows what I'm thinking!_ Kagome thought anxiously as she hurriedly looked away in embarrassment. Rin retracted her hand and cocked her head cutely to the side, seeming to find Kagome's behavior bizarre.

"Rin, leave her alone," Sesshomaru commanded and Rin hurriedly looked away from Kagome and sat up straight.

"Yes!" she proclaimed obediently before looking forward in strong determination. Kagome still couldn't believe how Rin did everything that Sesshomaru said, and never seemed to get angry or upset at getting bossed around. But instead, she seemed to like it.

The three sat in silence the rest of the way there and Kagome was thankful when the mansion finally came into view. Even though she had seen the house yesterday, she still couldn't believe what a monster of a house Sesshomaru and Rin lived in.

For two people it seemed like way too much space, but Kagome assumed it could be viewed as his status as a successful businessman. Since Sesshomaru was the boss and future owner of InuTashio Corp. he _should_ own such an impressive home. She also couldn't shake off the feeling that it could be another way to showcase his demonic power.

"Mr. Tashio, we are here," Jaken informed them from the driver seat of the limo as he pulled up towards the semi-circled driveway. Sesshomaru waited as the man got out of the car and opened his door, allowing him to step out first before the two females followed.

Kagome stood by the curb for a moment, and took in the sight of the mansion and how beautiful it looked in the evening light. Windows were faintly lit up from the inside, and the big house overall seemed warm and welcoming.

It's white paint faintly sparkled in the sunset, and twin white columns decorated the front entrance, giving the house a kind of ancient Greek feel.

Kagome turned her gaze from the house to spot Jaken scurrying to the door, a silent Sesshomaru staring back at her, and a slightly confused Rin who stood next to Sesshomaru. She smiled warmly at them before hurrying to catch up to the odd "family" that the three seemed to make.

"Silly Kagome!" Rin commented when the woman made it up the stairs to them at last. Kagome grinned at her before lightly ruffling the girl's hair.

"Sorry Rin, just zoned out for a second," Kagome answered with a laugh. Jaken had gotten the door open and had left it ajar for them. Kagome was slightly surprised that the little man hadn't waited there to hold it open for the "almighty" Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru made no comment to the two as he walked through the door. Rin followed after him quickly with Kagome not far behind.

(Divider)

Rin was sitting in Kagome's lap later that night when she stated that she was tired and wanted a bed time story. Sesshomaru huffed and walked away like always, but that was just her daddy. Usually she'd beg one of the staff members with her big brown eyes to read her a story, and they'd comply without a complaint. But now that Kagome was there Rin didn't even have to _try_ that hard. Kagome had volunteered so quickly that Rin didn't even have time to finish the question.

She knew something must've happened between Sesshomaru and Kagome, she was only seven but she wasn't stupid. She'd watched enough movies and read enough fairy tales to know what happened between couples and those that fell in love with each another.

By Kagome volunteering so quickly like that, Rin assumed that she wanted to get away from Sesshomaru for awhile. But who would want to? Her father was Sesshomaru Tashio for goodness sake!

She'd seen all her babysitters and all her dad's female employees fall in love with him instantly, but he never seemed felt the same way for them. Did Kagome tell him she loved him too, and he rejected her? But he couldn't! Rin loved Kagome, and he had to have known that! He wouldn't hurt Kagome if he knew that the woman meant so much to her.

"What story do you want me to read, Rin?" Kagome asked when they reached her room. Rin bounced up on her pink bed and kicked her feet back and forth, thinking. She knew she had to get to Kagome somehow, had to give _her_ hope so she wouldn't give _up_ on her dad.

She knew meddling in other's affairs was bad, her dad had told her that enough time that it was practically ingrained in her brain. But she wanted to do it for him too. Her dad wasn't a bad person, merely misunderstood.

But no one seemed to know that but her, and it was tiring! Tiring to hear all the stories about how cold, and mean, and horrible he was. Tiring to see that no one fought against those hurtful words, but her! Surely Kagome didn't feel the same way, surely _she_ could help her.

"Beauty and the Beast," Rin called back and gave her a wide grin when Kagome smirked at her, "it's my favorite," she added.

"And why is that?" Kagome asked while turning her back on her to search through her bookcase for the title.

"Because the Beast reminds me of Sesshomaru. He's misunderstood too, and if the Beast can find love, than so can he," Rin answered, making sure her voice sounded as innocent and ignorant as possible. Kagome looked back at her thoughtfully before pulling out a thin picture book and bouncing up on the bed next to her.

"You're very sweet to think of your father like that. There's someone out there for everyone, I'm sure his someone is out there too," Kagome replied with a smile before opening up the book.

Rin cuddled up to the woman's side and listened intently to the story she had probably heard a thousand times. But Rin still found herself lost in the world of love and jealousy that she forgot she knew the story at all, and felt as if it were her first time hearing it. She gasped at the scenes when Gaston popped up, giggled when Lumière and Cogsworth fought with one another, and sighed happily when the Beast and Belle broke the spell and lived happily ever after.

"Such a good story," Kagome murmured as she wound her arm around Rin and pulled her closer. Rin smiled up at her before snuggling against her thigh and feeling her eyelids beginning to droop. She was going to fall asleep again! But she hadn't even finished her master "Get-Sesshomaru-and-Kagome-together" plan yet...

(Divider)

Kagome looked down at Rin lovingly and once she was sure the girl was fast asleep she gently moved her over so her head rested against her pillow. Rin squirmed a little, but didn't awaken. Kagome grabbed the "Beauty and the Beast" book on her way down and gently shelved it with the rest of Rin's collection of story books.

She took one last look at Rin before making her way out of the room. She was so preoccupied in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Sesshomaru standing right outside the room. Kagome accidentally bumped into him before giving a start, not expecting anyone to be there. He quickly grabbed both her arms to keep her steady before they locked eyes.

"I must applaud you on your ability to put Rin to sleep so fast. No one can get her to relax so easily here," he stated. Kagome shrugged her shoulders, a little embarrassed that he called it an "ability," she hadn't really tried all that hard.

"I just read her "Beauty and the Beast" and she fell asleep right after. She said it was her favorite," Kagome answered with another shrug. Sesshomaru rose a thin eyebrow at her.

"Her favorite? No, her favorite story is "Mulan" because she's in love with the captain," Sesshomaru stated and spoke again when Kagome's eyebrows furrowed forward in confusion, "I know that for a fact because the whole staff has read her that story nearly every night, and she's frequently repeated how much she adores it. I'm afraid she's misinformed you,"

"But why would she?" right after she asked the question, Kagome remembered their conversation earlier.

"_Beauty and the Beast," Rin called back and gave her a wide grin when Kagome smirked at her, "it's __my favorite," she added. _

"_And why is that?" Kagome asked while turning her back on her to search through her bookcase for the title. _

"_Because the Beast reminds me of Sesshomaru. He's misunderstood too, and if the Beast can find love, then so can he," Rin answered._

A knowing smile played on Kagome lips as she inwardly applauded the girl's cunning. Rin had meant only for _her _to hear that, meaning, it was a hidden message. Was she trying to matchmake her and Sesshomaru?

Suddenly everything started to piece together: the diamond necklace, the frequent visits to her office, the fake favorite story. She had meant to give her subtle hints from the beginning. Rin really did love her father enough to try and "help" him find love, to find his special someone. And for some reason Rin thought it was her.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked, and by his slight (very slight) worried expression, Kagome assumed he had probably asked her multiple times.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking," Kagome answered.

"I meant from today, from earlier," Sesshomaru responded stoically. Though he said it unemotionally Kagome assumed that he _did _care, since he had asked. He wouldn't ask if he didn't care, right?

"Oh...yea I'm ok I guess. It was really scary, but exciting too," Kagome stated truthfully and couldn't help but give him a silly grin. He said nothing but let her go and turned on his heel to leave.

Kagome watched him disappear into a room she presumed was his, and saw him in a new light. Since Rin _had_ gone through all this trouble; Kagome thought about Sesshomaru seriously for a moment, and of how Rin said he was 'misunderstood'.

But could starting something with her boss be smart? Of course initially it sounded completely wrong, but if she dug deeper she _did _know that something was there between them. Overall happiness was something Kagome valued more then anything, even her career she thought honestly. She'd sleep on it before she decided anything, so turned around and entered the guest room designated for her and planned to sleep very little that night.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru couldn't let himself get over eager, couldn't let the beast inside persuade him in taking Kagome. Her reaction to his question lifted an invisible weight that had been on his shoulders all day. He was grateful she wasn't traumatized by what he had done. Of course he didn't _care_ if he had bothered her, it was just...if she wasn't afraid of him then it would make living together a little more bearable.

Of course the darker side of him voiced opposing thoughts, _"Flesh, such tempting flesh! Take her Sesshomaru, feel that woman's body beneath you again! Relive the sensations!" _the beast inside demanded. Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat to silence it, but the beast continued. _"Run your claws through her hair, bite her, and make her scream your name! Make her beg for you, plead you to-"_

"Enough!" Sesshomaru barked out loud. A staff member stopped cleaning an old fashioned vase to stare back at him in horror. He caught the man's eyes with his own agitated ones and he visibly gulped.

"Sorry, just doing my job," he mumbled before slowly backing away from the vase and into one of the guest rooms in a rush. Sesshomaru sighed and kept walking until he found his bedroom and entered it, shutting the door angrily behind him. If only he could do that to the beast within him, but there was no escaping it and it's constant fight for control.

He had never had too much trouble with it before, but once Kagome came into his life the beast seemed to gain much more power, especially recently. He still couldn't believe that he had nearly lost control earlier that day, he had never been that close before. Just having Kagome so close a minute ago had caused the beast, who had been laying dormant, to awaken and try to overpower him. Why was it attracted to Kagome so much? What was it about her?

Suddenly a knock came at the door and Sesshomaru relaxed his thoughts before scenting the person standing there. _Damn_, he thought angrily, Kagome was on the other side. He waited a few moments, hoping she'd give up and leave, but she continued to stand there. She even knocked a second time.

Unable to keep her waiting any longer Sesshomaru walked to the door and pulled it open. Kagome still had her hand up as if she were going to keep knocking, but when she spotted Sesshomaru she let it fall to her side.

"Hey, sorry for bothering you but...where's the kitchen?" she asked.

"You couldn't have asked one of the people on my staff that?" Sesshomaru asked, the agitation clear in his voice. She narrowed her eyes at him before answering.

"No, no one's out here," she answered with an angered tone, "I already said I was sorry for you bothering you, so you don't need to give me attitude," she added with a scowl. Sesshomaru was about to retort another bitter comment, but controlled himself and held in the ugly emotion. He was still intent on erasing all emotion from himself in hopes of riding himself from the weakness.

"Down the stairs and to your right there's two black revolving doors that open up into the kitchen," Sesshomaru instructed as civilly as he could. Kagome straightened and smiled up at him.

"You see, that wasn't so hard," she teased, "did I do something that's making you so grumpy?" she asked, slightly more heartfelt and serious. He unclenched his jaw that he hadn't known he'd been clenching and looked down at her.

"No,"

"Oh...are you sure?"

"Yes,"

"OK, night Sesshomaru," Kagome stated and whirled around to walk down the hallway. When she whirled away her hair flew up and he caught a small whiff of her scent. A hint of jasmine hit his nose and he couldn't help the slight sniff he did to catch as much of her scent as he could. The jasmine whirled around his senses and he felt almost drugged with it. Suddenly the need in him returned and he felt his marks begin to slowly appear on his face.

"Wait,"

Kagome turned at the sound of his command and stared back at him a little confused, but she had stopped walking. He stepped out of his room and stopped a hairsbreadth away from her before pulling her body close and nuzzling her neck with his nose. Kagome stiffened against him, but after a moment relaxed against him and even threw back her head, allowing him more access to her neck.

This close to her the smell of jasmine was overwhelming, and Sesshomaru could feel the beast inside pushing to get out and claim her. His entire body was inwardly shaking and his eyes were slowly fading to red.

He wanted to push her away, get her a safe distance away from him, but the overall feel of her so close was too pleasurable to let go. He felt his claws begin to grow as he let one slide up along her back while the other wound around her waist to keep her steady. She visibly shivered, and then ran her hands up the top of his chest before down his shoulders and back again.

He let out a low growl before closing his eyes and gently kissed down her neck, eventually reaching her collarbone. She gasped when he let his fangs gently pierce the skin above the bone, but he made sure that it was a nip and not an actual bite. He wouldn't be foolish enough to accidentally make her his mate.

"Sesshomaru..." she moaned as she ran her hands slowly up his shoulders and through his hair. He held her tighter against him and nipped another part of her collarbone, still maintaining control. She gave out another gasp and he felt her legs give out beneath her. His hold on her waist tightened even more and he held her so she wouldn't almost fall again.

"_Take her now! She's too hazed over in desire to want to stop you! I'm sure you can smell how ready she is as much as I can!"_ his demon inside hollered. Indeed Sesshomaru could smell her musky scent of desire, and it nearly undid him. But he wouldn't give in, not when it could cost losing Kagome forever. The thought seemed so unlike him, but he didn't dwell on it. He was too distracted to dwell on anything _but_ Kagome.

Sesshomaru gently licked over the spots he had nipped her and finished it off with a kiss to each little red mark coating her pale skin. She shivered and pushed herself away for a second to look him in the eyes, then cupped his face in her hands and brought him close for a kiss. She sighed in his mouth and he felt her tongue gently trace his lips. He opened his mouth and let his tongue mesh with hers, the kiss feeling like nothing he had ever felt before.

She ran her hands along his jaw line and tilted her head to the side to gain more access to him as he let his tongue run along her lips, repeating her actions from before. He felt her lips pull up in smile before he gently nipped her bottom lip, getting what sounded like a muffled groan out of her.

Unable to help himself he pushed her up against the nearest wall and continued to kiss her, feeling a growl cross his lips when her kisses became more urgent. She arched her back and pressed her chest against him, slowly rubbing her body up and down his.

The closeness caused the demon inside to gain even more power over his distracted mind that he nearly bit through her lower lip, but she gave out a distressed cry and he was able to stop himself. He pulled back slightly to see twin puncture marks on her lower lip, each coated with a droplet of blood.

He bent down again and gently ran his tongue along it, cleaning and closing the small wounds. She shivered before sighing in pleasure when he pushed her harder against the wall and ran his hands along the curves of her body before running back up them to meet at the curves of her face.

"_Sesshomaru_," Kagome begged as he kissed her harder and repeated his action which caused her to arch her body further in pleasure. Kagome ran her hands up his shirt and wound his tie around her palm before pulling it roughly (of course, not enough to even faze him) to angle his face slightly so she could escape from his lips and move down his jawline and to his neck. It took all his energy to keep himself from stopping her.

As an alpha it was forbidden to allow another around his neck area without fighting back and dominating over the adversary. But he knew Kagome didn't know of these rules, and her actions were intimate human actions that weren't meant to come off as aggressive, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of it being strange to him.

Kagome seemed to sense his unease though, and quickly returned to his mouth. Thankful that she seemed to have some "sixth" sense about him, Sesshomaru relaxed his tense stance and kissed her back, unsure how long they had actually been out there.

Suddenly the sound of rapid footsteps hit his sensitive ears and he quickly pulled away from her. Kagome stared up at him in shock for a moment before following his gaze and suddenly saw Jaken appear in the hallway.

"Mr. Tashio! I wasn't sure you'd still be up. It's one in the morning!" Jaken squawked at him before turning towards Kagome and huffing at her.

"What are you doing up, human?" he asked.

"My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me!" Kagome replied and even sounded out her name as if the demon was slow. Sesshomaru couldn't help the smirk that appeared at the woman's obvious tongue and temper. A very emotional human indeed.

"Whatever you horrid human, you'll agitate Mr. Tashio's by keeping him from his sleep!" Jaken scolded. Kagome glared at him and suddenly brought up her finger as if she was going to start lecturing the toad demon, but Sesshomaru spoke first.

"Jaken," he called the toad. The demon immediately stopped glaring back at Kagome, and stared at him intently.

"Yes, Mr. Tashio?"

"Leave us," Sesshomaru commanded. The toad visibly gulped and nodded slowly before scampering away.

"Oh and Jaken," Sesshomaru called when the toad was almost out of sight.

"Yes?"

"I expected you to call Kagome Ms. Higurashi from now on. If I hear you call her anything else, I'll kill you," Sesshomaru instructed stoically. The look of horror that crossed Jaken's face was what Sesshomaru was waiting for, and couldn't help the look of amusement that crossed over his face when he finally saw it. The toad demon fell into a low bow and held the position for a while before getting up and speaking.

"Of course, Mr. Tashio! Whatever you command will be done, Sir!" Jaken sputtered before he hurried away from the two in a frantic dash down the long hallway.

"That might have been a _little_ over the top. You'll seriously kill him?" Kagome asked once she was sure the toad was gone.

"If he disobeys me, yes. It's not "over the top" in demon society to kill one's servant if they displease you," Sesshomaru replied and Kagome gasped at him before glaring at him.

"But that's horrible! I won't let you to do such things to him! He may be rude, but he shouldn't be killed because of it! Some people are just born rude!" Kagome exclaimed and even had the guts to point her index finger mere inches from his face.

"And how do you plan on keeping me from killing him? You have no power as a human," Sesshomaru stated, though secretly curious what Kagome thought she _could _do to him.

"Just because I don't have brute strength doesn't mean I'm weak. I have _other_ ways of convincing you," Kagome replied and crossed her arms over her chest before looking angrily away.

"Other ways?" Sesshomaru asked, unable to hide the curiosity that sounded in his voice.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, though he could hear the slight uncertainty in her voice at being questioned. She was bluffing. Though, the thought that she would challenge him unarmed was very bold, stupid, but bold.

"Get some sleep, maybe you'll think of ways in the morning," Sesshomaru stated with a slight smirk and turned to walk away.

"HEY! I _have_ ways!" she yelled to his back, but his smirk only widened and he kept on walking.

(Divider)


	12. Misunderstandings can be a drag

_I think this is like a record for my review corner! You all are so awesome for reviewing! Love you all! :) _

_Review Corner_

_Lady Kira94: oh man, you're going to hate me after you read this chapter lol. _

_Lady Kami of Dreams: haha loved your review! So descriptive and exciting! I love it! My roommate loves Mulan and that's where I got the idea :) _

_black moon inu: aww I'm so glad you like mine :) I actually tried reading some Kag/Sessh stories and I can't find a whole lot that I like :/ kinda sucks, but I work off my own ideas anyway! Lol thanks for the review!_

_AmIOtaku: thanks :) I always love the drawn out romances, I feel like that blossom so much more when things finally start happening. Thanks for the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: haha thanks again for your descriptive reviews! And I always love when children push people that they like on their single parents. It makes the match that much sweeter :) and I think it'd be ADORABLE if your son did something like that for you! _

_Kitsune Diva: thanks for your review! I've come a long way to get as good as I have :) so its good to get some positive reinforcement_

_kikiome: isn't it sexy? Lol sorry that's blunt but that's what I thought when I was writing it, "how sexy would Sesshy be if he was having an inward battle with himself over a woman? Very sexy!" lol thanks for your review!_

_Sesshy's Mate 2012: :) glad you liked it! Keep up the reviewing! _

_Llebreknit: haha she can ;) thanks for the review!_

_Sugar0o: haha glad it amuses you :) hope I'll keep it up! Keep reviewing!_

_PurpleLuna: did he really? I'm so jealous! lol I want a boyfriend like that... anyway! Thanks for your review :) _

_polleywog222: glad you like my story! I love it when people tell me that they love my work :) keep reviewing!_

_CutieSOS: HAHA I loved your Jaken comment. But surprisingly Kagome is going to be somewhat nice to him in this chapter! Thanks again for your review and please keep it up!_

_Troph Is Legend: glad you like my story :) hope you keep reading and reviewing!_

_yi-chan: well...haha she DOES end up being a miko, but she had no idea she is one until later, much later. Purely by accident too, kind of like she did in the cannon, which is why I like it :) keep reviewing! _

(Divider)

Kagome was still in a sour mood the next morning as she made herself a cup of coffee in Sesshomaru's kitchen. His obvious arrogance was a little annoying, especially because he _had_ to act so proper and alert after their kissing episode in the hallway. She had been a puddle of goo the whole time!

When they had talked shortly afterward she hardly seemed to have control over her vocal cords and said a whole bunch of stupid things. She did distinctly remember talking about "other ways" of convincing him, but she didn't have any. She assumed if she thought dirty she could've meant sexually, but she hadn't. Besides that was Miroku's area of expertise.

So, she just made coffee and willed herself to forget about it. Maybe if she was lucky Sesshomaru wouldn't bring it up and it'd be like it never happened.

"Ha," she sarcastically laughed at herself, she was _never_ that lucky. She was just about to pour herself a cup when she heard the sound of footsteps and mentally prepared herself in case it was Sesshomaru. She stood for a moment, mid pour, and waited for the owner of those feet to show themselves. A second later she saw the little man from before, Jaken, turn the corner and spot her.

"Hum-Ms. Higuashi, good morning," the man ground out as civilly as Kagome assumed he could when talking to her. Kagome smiled at him before continuing to pour her cup of coffee.

"Would you like a cup?" she asked sweetly as the two continued to stare at each other rather awkwardly in Sesshomaru's kitchen. The man eyed her suspiciously for a moment before giving in and nodding.

"Then you can pour yourself a cup," Kagome answered curtly and angled her head away from the man. She placed the coffee jug on the counter top before she walked away from it with a huff.

"Why do I always have to be the one who's mistreated around here?" the little man exclaimed as he held his head and started to cry. Kagome ignored him and took a sip of her coffee.

After he seemed finished with crying in self-pity, Jaken grabbed one of the table chairs and pushed it towards the counter. Once it was pressed against the marble counter side he jumped on top of the seat and grabbed for the jug.

He seemed a little too short though, so he had to stand on his toes to reach the handle. But just as he was finally able to reach the jug he realized he had no cup. He looked up and saw the cupboard was _another _few feet above the counter. Kagome stuffed in a giggle when she saw the man's jaw drop and his head turn away as if he was holding in the need to cry again.

But there was only so much Depressed Jaken Kagome could take before she sighed and walked over to stand behind him. She looked down at him for a moment, playing with the idea of helping him. He had been _especially_ rude to her before...

She sighed again before reaching over him and grabbing a mug from the cupboard. He looked up with surprise before staring from the mug to her and then back at the mug. Kagome grabbed the coffee jug and poured the hot liquid into the mug and handed it to Jaken. He stared at her before his eyes got big and teary as he bowed his head towards her.

"Honorable Higurashi," he murmured and bowed his head again at her. Kagome only rolled her eyes at him before returning to her seat. She couldn't help that she felt bad for the man. She could've let him suffer more, but her gentle heart had prevented her.

The two didn't talk as they sipped at their coffees. The silence had almost became unbearable for Kagome, but luckily she heard the sound of tiny feet running down the hallway and knew Rin would remedy the situation.

Sure enough, Rin rounded the corner into the kitchen and gave Kagome a brilliant smile when their eyes met.

"Good morning, Kagome!" she cried out excitedly before hurrying over to give her a hug and hop into the chair next to her.

"Morning Rin," Kagome smiled softly down at her before looking up and locking eyes with Sesshomaru, who she assumed had been walking behind Rin. Surprisingly, Kagome hadn't heard any footsteps that accompanied Rin's when the girl walked in.

She smiled at him, but he didn't return it, rather turned to look at Jaken. The man froze mid-sip before visibly shivering and turning to look at Sesshomaru.

"Did Kagome make you coffee?" he asked the toad stoically. Jaken gulped before slowly nodding and giving out a nervous laugh.

"I wasn't able to reach the cups, and Ka-Ms. Higurashi was nice enough to get me one and pour me some coffee," Jaken answered, his voice shaking as if he were terrified of what Sesshomaru might do. Kagome stared at the two in mild confusion.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at Jaken before the man placed his cup on the counter and hurried out of the room. Kagome's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the random behavior before she turned to look at Sesshomaru, expecting answers. His golden orbs traveled the space from the mug to Kagome's eyes as they stared at each other in silence before he walked over to the two women and sat in the chair across from Kagome.

"Jaken looked so scared, don't you think Kagome?" Rin asked with a giggle as she played with a spare napkin that had been on the wooden table. Kagome nodded before turning to look back at Sesshomaru, but he was staring out the nearby window as if he had seen something fly by.

"Excuse me," he murmured suddenly as he stood and walked out the opposite hallway that Jaken had run down. Kagome could only stare after him and wonder what was causing Sesshomaru to seem so strange today. Rin, on the other hand, started humming as she swayed back and forth in her chair.

"Do you want something to eat, Rin?" Kagome asked, turning her attention back to the girl. Rin looked up at Kagome and smiled.

"I want some lucky charms," she answered cutely.

(Divider)

Kagome sat idly in her office as she lazily began tapping her desk with her pen and gave out a loud, bored sigh. Miroku had finished his stack and Kagome had finished hers, so now Kagome had nothing to do.

She sighed again and spun her chair around to look out the large window in her office. The city looked like it did everyday. People were driving in their cars, walking on the sidewalks, and a few stood and talked with one another.

Kagome rested her cheek against her hand and watched. She even got bored enough to make up little stories to go along with a few of the people she saw. She first spotted a couple hurrying down the street after a cab, probably late for a flight. Kagome imagined they were probably heading somewhere nice, like Hawaii or Cancun.

She then spotted a young woman standing on the other side of the street waving her hand for a taxi, and by how she was dressed Kagome could only guess she was going on a date. She had her hair pulled up in a high ponytail and was wearing a very pretty purple dress that seemed to perfectly hug her body in all the right places. If only Kagome could go on a date again...she missed those days.

"Kagome, my angel!" Koga's voice rang out and Kagome felt her whole body jerk in surprise before she whirled her chair around to see him standing in her doorway with that wolf grin of his. Kagome wondered at that moment if he saw her as a potential mate or a slab of meat.

"Hey...Koga," Kagome replied with an awkward laugh. The man walked into her office and quickly took both of her hands in his.

"Have you thought about becoming my mate, Kagome?" he asked in a very serious tone. Kagome's lips twitched as she stared at him like he had lost his mind. Of course she didn't want to be his mate! She was given only a day to think about it, and he thought she'd be ready? She still didn't _know_ the man.

"No," she answered honestly and she saw Koga's head fall slightly, but he picked it up a second later and gave her a cocky smirk.

"I understand, you humans really want to know your men before you decide to mate with them. Well I'll play this by your rules Kagome, my sweet," he replied before giving her one of his cards that had all of the sudden magically appeared in his hand.

"Here's my number, give me a call and we'll go to dinner sometime. You know, like a date," Koga stated.

"Just dinner?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Just dinner," he promised.

"Alright, I'll think about it," Kagome promised with a little more enthusiasm then she had intended. She supposed it was because she had seen that woman who was dressed so nice and hypothetically going on a date, and was envious of her. Now with Koga so eager to go on a date with her, Kagome couldn't help but accept. Of course, Koga might get a bit carried away on a date...

"Good, I'll be expecting a call," he winked before giving her hand a long kiss and turning to leave.

"What's the reason you're here today, Koga?" Kagome asked when the demon had taken a couple steps towards her door.

"To see you, of course. Being an executive I have people doing all the dirty work for me, giving me a lot of spare time. If you decide to become my mate though, I'll use all that time in keeping you _very_ satisfied," he grinned as Kagome felt her face turn a bright red before she frantically looked away. Koga seemed quite confident that she wouldn't turn down his offer at being his mate. She didn't think she ever met a man with such confidence before.

"Uh oh, I better go. I can smell Sesshomaru's, I mean _Mr. Tashio's_, scent coming this way. See ya later, Kagome!" he waved back at her as he darted out of her office, shutting the door quickly behind him. Kagome swore she heard a series of growling going on moments later outside her door. Were the two demons, Koga and Sesshomaru, _fighting_ outside her door?

Not wanting them to cause a scene, Kagome hurried to her door and swung it open, but only found Sesshomaru standing there, alone. His upper lip was pulled up in a faint snarl and she saw that he hadn't seemed to notice that she had opened her door, for he was still looking down the hallway where she assumed Koga had gone.

"Sesshomaru, can I help you?" Kagome asked as she looked up at her boss. His golden orbs turned down towards her.

"That's _Mr. Tashio_," he corrected her curtly before whirling on his heel and walking swiftly away.

Kagome's mouth fell open at his obvious agitation with her, but why would he get upset with Koga coming to visit her? Plus she couldn't help the light sting she felt in her chest when he had corrected her. He hadn't seemed to care about her calling him by his first name before! She hurried out of her office to trail behind him and reached out to grab hold of his arm.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked in an angry whisper. He looked back at her before retracting his arm and pushing her away, rather roughly.

"Nothing is wrong. Go away," he growled before continuing on. Kagome stood there for a second in utter shock before she continued following after him.

"Something is obviously wrong. Was it because Koga showed up?" Kagome asked. By that time they had reached his office and he was standing in front of his desk, and she stood in the doorway.

"Close the door," he commanded, and Kagome quickly did as she was told. Luckily, Rin wasn't in the room, and Kagome could only assume that she was probably off bothering Jaken somewhere.

Kagome rested her back against the door and watched Sesshomaru for a moment, noticing that he was idly tracing his fingers along the wooden edge of his desk.

"Alright, it's closed," Kagome replied and walked over to his side. Without really thinking, she placed one hand on the middle of his back and the other grabbed his arm gently. He froze at the physical contact, but didn't push her away this time. _A breakthrough,_ she silently hoped.

"Now tell me what's wrong," Kagome demanded in a soft whisper. Sesshomaru looked down at her, his icy eyes more piercing than usual. Kagome had never been the one he had ever sent that look to, and she realized now why so many employees on their floor were so deathly frightened of him.

"I don't need to explain myself to you, _Ms. Higurashi_," he ground out, his actions were so aggressive that Kagome almost felt like he wanted her to fight with him about it. As if he wanted her to be just as angry at him as he was with her, for whatever it was that she had done. Kagome glared back at him, not caring in the least that he was sending death threats through his eyes back at her.

"You don't _have_ to, but I _want_ you to. Since when did I _ever_ piss you off, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked as she felt her temper flare up, all the while knowing that she was treading in dangerous waters.

"That's-" he began but Kagome tightened her hold on his arm, and the action seemed to momentarily distract him for he quickly shut his lips while his eyes slightly narrowed.

"You never seemed to mind when I called you by your first name before, I even caught you calling _me_ by my first name. If there's something wrong, spill it, I want to know," Kagome stated in an understanding tone, knowing that only anger between the two of them would get them nowhere. Sesshomaru was silent for a time before he spoke again.

"It's that damn wolf," Sesshomaru murmured under his breath, quiet enough that Kagome almost missed it.

"Koga? He's harmless," Kagome soothed, but he only seemed to tense more under her hold.

"He's claimed you as his," Sesshomaru stated and Kagome's eyebrows shot up.

"No, he didn't. He keeps coming back, asking me to be his mate, but I've never accepted," Kagome replied offhandedly with a surprised blink. Sesshomaru looked back at her before swiftly taking her in his arms and pulling the collar of her dress shirt down towards her chest.

"HEY!" Kagome screamed as she pushed against him, but his hold was too strong and he was able to keep her completely still.

"He hasn't marked you," he stated and bent down to press his nose along her neck. Kagome shivered and squirmed under him, but he continued to hold her roughly against him. Feeling like physically fighting him was getting her nowhere Kagome stood still and let Sesshomaru "inspect" her before speaking up. _Maybe a verbal approach would be a better route to take_, Kagome thought as she held in the need to sigh.

"Why did you think he claimed me? Because you heard us talking?" Kagome asked while awkwardly holding her head at an angle to give his nose better access to her neck. Sesshomaru pulled away when he seemed content with his "investigation" of her person and looked down at her for a moment before bringing her hand close to his nose and faintly sniffing around her knuckles.

"Here, this is what I smelt. His saliva is powerful here. Demons tend to leave their saliva on the place where they marked their mate," he explained, then started to growl low in his throat,"the wolf tricked me,"

Kagome assumed that he must've "talked" to Koga outside of her door when she had heard all of those growls. He must've told Sesshomaru then that Kagome was his, even though she hadn't accepted him. To keep Sesshomaru from marking her perhaps?

"I haven't accepted his offer, if you're wondering," Kagome reminded him in a whisper and felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment at basically telling him she was single. It felt silly since he was a demon and she was a human, but the basic rules of a relationship had to be a least somewhat similar.

"Good, he's working for another corporation that wants a merger. I'm unsure of his company's background, so until then I'd recommend not having any kind of affiliations with him. Once I find out that he's trustworthy and we do make the merger then you are free to do as you wish," Sesshomaru answered and Kagome couldn't help the disappointment that showed on her face.

Surely he had understood what she had meant by that comment? Maybe he just didn't care, she _was_ only his employee, someone who worked _under_ him.

"Alright," she promised and Sesshomaru let her hand go before taking a step back and allowing her space to move. Kagome felt suddenly cold inside and could feel her heart breaking.

Why hadn't she seen this coming? Of course he was only upset because Koga was an executive from a competing company, not because he had feelings for her or was jealous of the wolf demon. She couldn't help the emptiness of being used that began to fill her head.

_He had only used me! Used me so he could vent out his demonic urges, no wonder he was so calm and collected after kissing me! At least now he can live up to his reputation as the Lord of Ice! _She thought bitterly as she closed her eyes to hold in the tears that were threatening to fall.

To be heartbroken by Inuyasha was hard, but from Sesshomaru? She had trusted him! She couldn't believe that she could be hurt by both brothers, it only proved that their horrible ways ran in the family.

"I-I think I'm going to go to my friend's house after work tonight," Kagome stated, flinching when she stuttered, and bent her head down so her bangs covered her eyes. That way she wouldn't have to worry about seeing what kind of cocky expression would be on Sesshomaru's face at seeing how much of an affect he had on her.

"Fine," he answered nonchalantly. Kagome bit her lip to hold in a hard sob she felt coming up her throat. He hadn't even sounded the least bit phased by her wish to leave his home. Did he really not care about her whatsoever?

"Excuse me," she murmured and felt a tear escape from her eyes and travel quickly down her cheek.

Ignoring the display, she kept her head down and walked around him before leaving his office. Sesshomaru didn't try to stop her.

(Divider)


	13. Inuyasha gets an interesting proposition

_Ok sorry about the long wait people! But thanks for all your reviews! I feel the love :) _

_Review Corner_

_CutieSOS: Haha I love your response to my last chapter. Such fire! But don't worry Sesshomaru will make up for it ;) thanks for the review!_

_llebreknit: Yes he was jealous, but she assumes that he's protective because she's an employee, not because he's interested. It was basically a misunderstanding, but don't worry it'll all be cleared up :) Thanks for the review!_

_PurpleLuna: Haha sorry, I had to do it cause the idea came to me. And it always happens to couples, misunderstandings I mean. Don't worry it'll get better :) Thanks for your review and I'm glad you still liked it even though Sesshy was a jerk!_

_Kikiome: Yup, I'm so glad that you could see what I was getting at with that chapter! :) And no worries it'll get better, I promise! Thanks for the review_

_Lady Kira 94: I was kinda doing that to keep Sesshy in character, but no worries, he'll see the errors of his ways and make it up to Kagome. Thanks for the review! _

_Tinabug: I'm glad that you love it :) hope you love this chapter too! Thanks for the review_

_Sesshy's Mate2012: Haha sorry, I was trying to keep Sesshy in character for that chapter. And yes I used to be obsessed with DBZ back when I was a kid. What was your idea? _

_Toph Is Legend: awwww! Well that's what I was going for, so in a way I'm happy that I made it emotional enough to cause some reaction in my readers :) thanks for the review, and don't worry it'll get better. _

_Xepher06: Loved your review! And don't worry Sesshy will make it up to Kagome when he finds out what he said hurt her. It was just a misunderstanding between the two, but none realize it yet. _

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: Haha have I told you that I love your descriptive reviews yet? Well I'm telling you now! I LOVE them! Lol. Thanks again for your faithful reviews, and yes it was a misunderstanding between the two. And the Jaken scene was supposed to be more of a possessive/jealous hint from Sesshomaru. Basically the idea that Kagome did something nice for Jaken that she hadn't done for him got him edgy and Jaken picked up on it. Koga is in this story more for laughs then anything, he's no big threat. Inuyasha will be the bigger problem later one, you'll see why in this chapter. _

_Hitsuika kuchiki: glad you love my story, and sorry for the wait :( I had major writer's block this past week and a lot of papers to write for class so had like no time. But here's a chapter for you! Thanks for reviewing, twice! :) _

(Divider)

"Of course you can stay here Kagome!" Ayumi told her over the phone as Kagome sat in her office lightly biting her fingernails. She still felt her heart lightly stinging inside her chest at the thought that she wouldn't be joining Sesshomaru and Rin after work sunk in. Even though she'd only been there a couple of times, it had started to feel like home to her. At least more than her apartment ever had.

"Thanks Ayumi, you're the best," Kagome answered softly and said a quick goodbye before hanging up the phone. Ayumi had told her that she'd pick her up around five and they'd go get something to eat before heading over to file for a lock change. Kagome was happy that she'd chosen Ayumi to call; she was the most understanding of all her friends, and her one true shoulder to cry on when things got rough.

"Hey Kagome, did Miroku ever finish those files for – oh sweetie, what's wrong?" Sango stopped when she noted Kagome's saddened expression and walked into her office to quickly take one of Kagome's hands in her own. The two women shared looks before Kagome took in a shaky breath and gave her a smile.

"Nothing's wrong, Sango," Kagome reassured the other woman while she tried to laugh it off, but her laugh came out as more of a light sob than an actual laugh. Sango gave her a suspicious look before an angry expression crossed her features.

"Miroku didn't try anything on you, did he?" she asked in a hiss before turning to look out into the hallway like he'd suddenly appear there. Kagome let out a real laugh, the look of pure hatred on Sango's pretty face along with the fact that she had _nothing_ to worry about was enough to brighten her mood, before shaking her head.

"No, it wasn't him. He's great, he even finished his half of my work ahead of schedule. But really, it's nothing you need to worry about, I swear! I'm probably overreacting anyway," Kagome answered and turned her gaze to the floor when Sango tried to read her expression.

"Overacting over what?" Sango asked, but Kagome merely shook her head again. She didn't need to bring Sango into her troubles. She was a really good friend, and a wonderful person who didn't need to worry about her problems. Sango rested her hand on Kagome's knee and gave it an affectionate squeeze before nodding in understanding.

"You don't need to tell me, I understand if it's too personal. I wouldn't want to tell everyone about my business either," Sango added as she retracted her hand and looked at her lap for a moment. An uncomfortable silence filled the room until they heard hurried steps and the sound of Miroku's voice chatting away in the hallway.

"Hey Sango, Mr. Tashio wants you in his office," Miroku stated, popping in on the two women. He gave Kagome a wink and blew Sango a kiss before hurrying on his way. Both women blinked for a second before Sango heaved a sigh and stood.

"I better go talk to him, the Lord of Ice will kill me if I don't,"

"I'm sure he wouldn't _really _kill you," Kagome replied, but gulped a second later. He was a demon, and demons were supposed to be evil by nature. An evil person would probably have no problem killing someone as sweet and good hearted as Sango. He had also told her that killing a servant that didn't do as they were told was not seen as a crime in the demon world.

"No, but he'd fire me and _that'd_ be like killing me," Sango stated and rushed out of Kagome's office. Kagome watched the woman leave and hoped that all would go well. Sesshomaru better not fire her or he'd have _her_ to answer to.

(Divider)

Inuyasha paced around his house with his hands behind his back as he contemplated going to Kagome's office. She hadn't returned his call about giving him a second chance and he was worried if she had even gotten the flowers he had sent. The flower delivery boy _had _seemed a little distracted when he had given him the address to her office.

Maybe Kagome had gotten them, but still didn't want to forgive him for what he had done. _Certainly not, she was head over heels in love with me in high school _he thought as he gave out an angered huff and plopped down on the nearest chair.

He rubbed his face with his hands before shaking himself lightly, he had to get out of this funk he was in. He hadn't even _thought _about Kagome in a long time, and until recently, Kikyo had been enough.

Speaking of which...the woman hadn't shown up lately to his apartment. He had told her that he was intent on getting Kagome back, and she had fought with him continuously for the past week to take her back. He wouldn't, of course. He had told Kagome that all he wanted was her, and he had meant it.

He turned his head to look back at his cell phone that was resting on the kitchen table and heaved another sigh when he didn't hear it ring. It hadn't rung at all for the past few days, so why was he still so hopeful? Was this karma getting back at him for flip flopping between the two, and for insulting Kagome's cooking on more than one occasion?

"Damn you, karma," he muttered under his breath as he slouched in his chair before glaring at his cell phone one more time. She'd call, he just knew she would. They had so much history together, and they both knew that what they had then was something great. She'd realize it and then she'd be his again, unless his uptight brother got to her first.

He growled low in his throat just thinking about Sesshomaru. He hated his half-brother with a passion, and his hatred only grew when Kagome had cried and rushed into _his _arms. Of all the people to trust and confide in, why Sesshomaru? And why did that fact bother him so damn much?

"It'll be over soon enough, Kagome will come back and it'll be like we never broke up in the first place. That's how it's always been," he soothed as he tried to keep his anger under control. Due to his half-demon heritage he was always in danger of losing control to the demon inside him.

His father was a very powerful demon, and the other half that was his mother's human side was no match sometimes when the demon took over. Fortunately, the demon only was at it's strongest when he got angry, so he had a way of "managing" it by controlling his temper.

His cell phone went off suddenly and Inuyasha stumbled over his chair as he hurried over to the kitchen table to answer it in case it was Kagome calling. Unfortunately, it wasn't her.

"Hello, is this Inuyasha?" a smooth talking female asked through the other line. He'd have been turned on if he hadn't known who it was on the other line.

"What do you want, slut?" he asked back angrily. She was hogging his line! What if Kagome called while he was talking to this joke of a demoness?

"How dare you!" she shrieked and he could imagine her nails digging into her palms at the foul comment.

"I can talk to you anyway I want, Kagura," Inuyasha answered smugly and felt his smirk widen when he heard her angrily breathing into the receiver.

He never cared for the demoness, and knew from the moment he saw her that all she'd ever want was power. She had been hot for Sesshomaru ever since she got the job as Rin's babysitter. He hated his brother so much that he hated all who liked him too, which meant he hated both Rin and Kagura by default.

"You won't be able to say anything like that to me once you hear what I have to say," she stated in her own smug voice and Inuyasha couldn't help but be curious.

""And what's that? It's not like you're all that important, you're Sesshomaru's brat's babysitter," he tempted her anger.

"I'm an executive for Onigumo Inc. now, and I've got a special offer for you from Naraku himself," she said. Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed at the news, he had heard a little bit about Onigumo Inc from his father. It was the only other company that was successful in taking control of other companies without much of a problem, just like his father's company did.

"Why would I want to work against my family's company?" he asked.

"To get back at your brother. You two have hated each other since birth, wouldn't it kill him inside to see his younger brother succeeding him?" Kagura asked with a flirtatious voice. He always wondered if that was how she really talked, or she had learned from experience that it helped with manipulation when she acted like she was hot for whoever she was talking to.

"It'd definitely push some of his buttons," Inuyasha agreed softly, thinking about it for a moment.

"Naraku wants you to become his heir to his company. He plans on retiring soon, but has no living heirs to inherit his company. If you help him bring down Inu Tashio Corp, it'll be all yours. Think about it Inuyasha, you'll have complete control of your brother and all the companies under him. With such power you could have anything you want, and I mean _anything_," Kagura purred, and Inuyasha couldn't help but feel completely sucked in by her voice and what she promised.

It was like she somehow had read his mind, or had been secretly watching him for the past week. She talked like she knew just how deep his hatred was for his brother, and just how badly he wanted Kagome. If he would become as powerful as she said he would be, there'd be no way Kagome could resist him.

He'd be rich beyond even his father's wealth, and he would definitely surpass Sesshomaru's wealth. He also had to admit that seeing Sesshomaru _forced_ to work for _him _would be the best kind of reward he could _ever_ hope for. That arrogant demon needed someone to stand up to him and show him that he wasn't the strongest being alive like he seemed to think he was.

"I'll do it," Inuyasha agreed hastily and he could've sworn he heard soft, confident laughter sound in the background on the other line.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru sat patiently in his office, lightly tapping his pen on his desk as he waited for his secretary to show. He had threatened her lover moments before that if he didn't tell her that she was needed right away he'd fire the both of them.

The clicking of high heels sounded close to his door and his ears perked up as he sensed who was coming. The woman's floral perfume was strong enough that Sesshomaru hadn't even needed to sniff the air to smell her coming. He could also smell the faint scent of jasmine, his secretary had been with Kagome. _Kagome,_ he whispered her name in his mind and felt the surprising need to see her again, he'd go after he finished speaking to his secretary.

"Hey Mr. Tashio, sorry for the wait. Ms. Higurashi was really upset about something and I felt like I needed to be there for her," Ms. Kito explained as she entered his office and quickly shut his door behind her. He would've retorted that he didn't care about others personal lives, but when she mentioned Kagome he couldn't help but still his tapping motions and wonder what she could possibly be upset about.

"Don't worry about such things," Sesshomaru replied and picked up a list he had made for her. A series of errands needed to be run before the day ended. He could've just paged her with them, but wasn't sure if she'd remember them or be smart enough to write them down.

He didn't have very many expectations when it came to his human employees. He always settled with whoever his staff decided was perfect for the positions at his company. His opinion still reigned supreme, of course. If the human employees weren't up to par, he still had the power to fire them whenever they were too bothersome to deal with.

"Do these tasks before you leave for the day," he instructed and handed Ms. Kito the list. She bowed in respect before grabbing the list from his outstretched hand. She studied the list for a moment before her eyebrows narrowed and she hurriedly reread the list.

"This handwriting...is this yours?" she asked in a whisper, not tearing her eyes away from the sheet of paper he had handed her.

"Yes, why would such a thing matter now?" he asked back, slightly agitated that she was still in his office. He had work to get done before the day ended as well, and didn't need any further distractions.

"Because this handwriting was on that card, the one with the beautiful poem. It was the one from my secret admirer," Sango whispered before turning to look up at him shock.

(Divider)

_Mwuahahahahaa!_ =D


	14. Getting poisoned sucks!

_I'm so sorry that I haven't updated! I was really busy with papers and a serious case of writers block. But I'm back! Hope you like the new installment! _

_Review Corner_

_XxLovesxInuyashaxX: haha random right? I love doing that :) but it'll be explained in this chapter! Thanks or the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: Haha I always love reading your reviews! And no worries Inuyasha will redeem himself...somehow. I do love Inuyasha so I can't make him completely evil...just a little. But anyway your questions will be answered in this chapter! _

_Llebreknit: Lol no worries, it'll all be clear in this chapter! Thanks for the review!_

_Hitsuika kuchiki: I'm sorry about the long wait :( but hopefully this chapter will be worth it! Thanks for the review and I'm glad to see that you anticipate my stories so much :) _

_Shiori Yume: lol don't you love it when suddenly the story becomes a lot more complex? Thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: Haha well Inuyasha is Inuyasha and he can be a bit of an idiot sometimes...But you'll prob get mad at me again...there's another cliffy on this chapter too! But hopefully you'll like it so it'll be ok._

_Fabulous princess dai: aww! I didn't think that I could make someone cry! Well I'm sorry about that, but I hope you still love my story and will continue reading! I won't answer your last question cause I don't want to promise an ending no matter what kind :] but I'm sure you'll love it. _

_Sesshy's Mate 2012: haha sorry about taking so long! But this is a good chapter so hopefully it was worth the wait :) _

_tinabug:glad you liked the last chapter :] hope you like this one too! _

(Divider)

Sesshomaru almost visibly flinched when his secretary brought up the secret admirer letter. When he had written it as a favor for the ladies man months ago, he had hoped that it wouldn't come back to haunt him. Unfortunately, it had.

"You misunderstand, Ms. Kito. While it _is_ my handwriting, the message was from your lover. I merely wrote it for him because he wouldn't leave me alone until I did," Sesshomaru responded and he saw Ms. Kito's shoulders instantly relax and she let out a sigh before a laugh.

"Wow, I was so scared for a second – not that I wouldn't be flattered if it _had_ been you – but I would've felt so bad if Miroku had taken credit for your work," Ms. Kito replied and nervously scratched the back of her head. An action that Sesshomaru had seen Kagome do on occasion. The fact alone made Sesshomaru falter slightly before his eyes narrowed as he gazed down at his secretary with an icy stare.

"Don't let the rest of the office know about this," Sesshomaru ordered and she hastily nodded, "thank you," he added rather awkwardly a moment later. He had never felt thankful for another's action before, but it was better if his favor was kept quit.

He didn't need the rest of his employees thinking that he might be...nice. She gave him a half smile before turning around to exit, but stopped before she took a step towards the door.

"This may be really blunt of me to ask but...is something going on between you and Kagome?" his secretary asked after whirling around to face him.

"That is none of your business," Sesshomaru replied coolly.

"It is if she's crying over _you_," she retorted.

"Why would she be upset over me?" Sesshomaru asked back calmly, raising his head and spreading his dominant influence over her, insuring that she answered him truthfully. He was agitated that his secretary had to be involved in his affairs, but he assumed if Kagome really _was_ upset at him, Ms. Kito would be the only person who could tell him why. He had noted that the two women were rather close, possibly friends by now.

"Uhh...She didn't tell me why, but was trying not to cry in front of me," Ms. Kito replied while backing up a little, though seemed confused why she did. Humans could never tell when demons "influenced" them, so most of the time they'd become dazed and confused when their body would submit subconsciously.

"Did you two have a fight?" she boldly asked, and when Sesshomaru took a warning step forward she shrunk away.

"No," he answered, though gave a pause when he noted that scaring his employee would get him no where closer to finding out what was bothering Kagome.

"A disagreement?" she asked sheepishly.

"No...well," Sesshomaru took a moment to think and remembered him advising Kagome to stay away from Mr. Wolf, but she couldn't be upset about that. The wolf was obnoxious and claimed everything as his, surely she saw that as unattractive?

"Well?" Ms. Kito coaxed.

"I told her to stay away from Mr. Wolf until we make the merger with his company since they are our competitors. After the merger I told her she could do whatever she liked with him," Sesshomaru replied.

"What? Why would you tell her something like that if you two are involved? Surely it hurt her to hear that all you could think about was business, and not her," she yelled, seeming to become temporarily immune to his influence.

"Think about her?" he asked back.

"Yes! She probably thought you didn't like Mr. Wolf cause you were jealous! Not because you don't want to hurt the chances of the business merger. Sometimes I want to bash men on the head with a rolled up newspaper because they can be so _oblivious_!" Ms. Kito raged before freezing in place and giving him a uncertain look, "sorry sir, I didn't mean to yell," she added quietly with a small blush.

"So you say that it was a misunderstanding and Kagome is upset because she was hoping I'd be jealous over the attention she received from Mr. Wolf?" Sesshomaru summarized and Sango placed her hands on her hips and gave him a glare.

"Yes, now go and apologize before she ends up going with _him_!" his secretary ordered, but flinched when Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. He never took orders from anyone, especially from humans. Not to mention that Ms. Kito was his _secretary_, a lowly position on the business scale in comparison to him.

"I don't need to take orders from you. I'll go to her on my own time," Sesshomaru replied and inclined his head towards the door, "I think it's about time you got back to work," he added and Ms. Kito's mouth opened as if she were about to say something, but thought better of it and pressed her lips together.

She then turned on her heels and walked out of his office, slamming his door on her way out, making it clear that she was angry with him. It had become blatantly clear that he didn't have the right "touch" when it came to handling the females he worked with.

(Divider)

Kagome sighed yet again and placed her hands on her head, trying to concentrate on typing up a report, but her mind wouldn't cooperate. She was just about to start making up stuff just to add space when she heard a knock at the door.

Her fingers paused over the keys and she waited a moment for the person to speak. It was moments like these that Kagome wished she had Sesshomaru's strong sense of people's presences, then she could just sense who was there. Then there wouldn't have to be this constant guessing game at who was at her door.

"Come in," she called hesitantly. If it was Sesshomaru coming to talk about business again, Kagome didn't think she could take it. At least not this soon. But it wasn't him, and it wasn't anyone she recognized either.

It was a very tall man with long black curly hair that ran all the way down to his waist. He had very red eyes, something Kagome found very odd. His long face, which looked like it'd be on someone who was constantly sad or upset, was brightened with a slight smirk that showed off his pearly whites. And though Kagome had never seen this man before, she couldn't deny that he was a very attractive man, in a kind of sinister way.

He was wearing an Armani suit and looked like another wealthy businessman. Kagome then started to wonder if she _had _done something different with herself, because she seemed to have become a wealthy businessman magnet all of the sudden.

"Hello Ms. Higurashi. My, you are as attractive as I've heard," the man stated as his red eyes traveled down her face, seeming to analyze every little detail there.

"Oh, I'm sure you're just saying that," Kagome replied with a light laugh and felt her cheeks burn at the compliment.

"I would never dream of lying to you, Ms. Higurashi," he responded smoothly as his smirk widened to show off more of those white teeth. Kagome noted then that there was a certain _quality_ to his voice that made him seem almost..._haunting_.

"Oh, how very...thoughtful of you," Kagome nervously laughed. This man gave her the creeps and even though he was very attractive _and_ openly flirting with her, she continued to keep her guard up, just in case.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked once an uncomfortable silence filled the room. He smirked at her before slightly shaking his head.

"No, I've only come to see what you look like. I have a future employee that is very interested in you, not to mention the head of one of my competing companies," he replied, and then smiled at her yet again, "you seem to be a charming girl, as well as beautiful. I could see why so many men are after you, Ms. Higurashi,"

"Oh, believe me it's all on accident. I'm usually not this popular," Kagome nervous laughed again, feeling a chill go up her spine when the man's smile sharpened, and seemed almost forced. Suddenly Kagome realized why she felt so uneasy around him, everything about him seemed so..._fake_.

"Would you like to accompany me to lunch, Ms. Higurashi? I'd love your company," the man offered and Kagome hesitated. With her luck he was probably another businessman that was competing with Sesshomaru, and all she needed was to get her boss angrier than he already was at her.

"That's very sweet, but-" she awkwardly began.

"I insist," he interrupted and Kagome visibly gulped. Though he said he "insisted" it sounds more like a threat than an invitation. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. She didn't care who he was, no one _ordered_ her around!

"I don't know who you think you are, but I don't take kindly to threats," Kagome replied hotly, and even got out of her chair so they were looking at each other on the same level rather then him looking down at her. Looking down at her added to the insult of ordering her around.

"Women should know their place when they are talking to men," the man hissed, his attractiveness melting away when his hair started to float all around his shoulders and his eyes gleamed red. _A demon!_ Kagome thought in a panic. Of course the man _had_ to be a demon, she could be _such_ an idiot sometimes!

"Y-you don't scare me!" Kagome cried out in an attempt to sound confident and calm. But of course she failed miserably, on account of the fact that the demon was now laughing at her.

"Are you scared, little human? Humans are much tastier when they're frightened," he stated, his fangs easily seen from behind his lips when he spoke. Kagome grabbed hold of the nearest thing to her and chucked it at him. He easily moved out of the way and rose a brow at her.

"Did you honestly think that a stapler could harm me?" he asked before dodging a coffee mug.

"I don't know! But I'm not going to let you eat me without putting up a fight first!" Kagome screamed back at him before rummaging around her desk for something sharp. All she had were pencils and pens, but she'd have to get really close to him to use it effectively, and she was happy right where she was.

"Stop this foolishness human, and accept that fact that you're going to die," the man stated darkly before instantly appearing before her. Kagome let out a scream, but he quickly covered her mouth to muffle the sound. He pushed her against the desk and held her securely under him.

"It's really too bad that you have to die. Such a feisty one...you would be a very interesting mate," he noted before moving the hand that was covering her mouth to her neck and squeezed. Kagome tried to scream but his grip was so tight that he was blocking off air altogether.

She started to feel tears prick her the backs of her eyes and she moved her arms from under him to blindly search for a pen or pencil on her desk. Within seconds she felt the edge of a pen and grabbed a hold of it. In a flash, she stabbed the pen into the man's neck and he gave out an angry roar, but let her go. She fell to the floor in a hep of coughs while she tried desperately to gulp for air.

"You bitch!" he screamed, and pulled the pen out before angrily tossing it aside. Kagome looked up at him with teary eyes and rubbed her aching neck. She huddled into a ball and pressed up against her desk when he knelt down next to her.

"That was very cruel of you. If I were human that pen ink could've poisoned me. Too bad for you that most of my body is made up of poison, and I'm _not_ human," he stated and then grabbed her arm before roughly pulling her to her feet.

"Now, if you come with me quietly I won't have to kill you. But if you bring attention to yourself or try to call for help I won't be so forgiving," he hissed and pulled her close so she was trapped in the crook of his arm, and he held her like they were the best of friends.

"No," she tried to say, but her cry came out hoarse and scratchy. The demon smiled down at her before grabbing hold of her chin and forcing her to look up at him.

"Don't worry, I won't make you my mate. While the fire inside you is interesting, you are too feisty for my tastes. I'm planning on using you as bait," he explained with an all knowing smirk.

"Bait?" Kagome asked back, her voice still sounding scratchy and overused.

"Yes, with so many powerful men after you, you'd be the perfect bait to attract all of them. Then when I kill them all off I won't need to worry about having to battle them for their companies. They'll be owner-less and I'll be there to save the day," he answered with an eerie smile. Kagome glared at him and pushed at his side to try and get away.

"I won't let you do that, I'm not weak enough to let you!" she cried and tried to get free from his grasp but he growled at her and covered her mouth with his hand again. But this time she was quicker to react to his actions and bit as hard as she could into his palm.

She bit so hard that she tasted blood and instantly her world began to spin. The demon let out an angered snarl before throwing her quickly away. She stumbled over to her desk and grabbed hold of the edge to try and stop the spinning that was quickly blurring her vision.

"You idiot! Even a single _drop_ of my blood can poison a human. You're no use to me dead!" he cried out. Kagome thought she was going to be sick.

Not only was the taste of blood disgusting, but it was poisoning her too! She knew he was telling the truth about the poison because she felt woozy and nauseous and her world was still violently spinning. She didn't know how much blood she had ingested, but it was definitely more than a drop.

"Naraku," another voice had suddenly entered the room. Kagome slowly turned her head towards the door, but could only see long silvery hair. Her vision was getting so bad that all she could see were various colors. Nothing had shape anymore, and she felt like she was going to be sick right there in front of the demon and the newcomer.

"Sesshomaru," the demon named Naraku growled back. Kagome's heartbeat quickened at the mention of Sesshomaru. He was a demon too, so he could take care of Naraku and save her.

"Sesshomaru...the poison..." she murmured and slowly reached out her arm to him. She saw the silver mass move and the pale circle that she assumed was his face turn in her direction. Before she could hear what he said next she tumbled forward and fell against something soft and warm before her world went black.

(Divider)


	15. Kagome's newly developed abilities

_lright so many of you have probably noticed that the rating has gone up, and I updated in two days. The reason: this chapter lol. You'll see why when you read, and while nothing happens in the real world I thought I'd change it just to be safe. So warning to all readers! Sexually explicit things to come! Beware! :P _

_Review Corner_

_CutieSOS: haha my thoughts exactly, but we need a good villian right? Without one there would be no conflict, and that's no fun! Lol And sorry I wasn't too suspenseful in just waiting like two days. _

_Tinabug: glad you liked it! Hopefully this one won't be too much haha. I'm a little embarrassed with how far I went with it. _

_Llebreknit:I wrote Sesshy's view just for you! And it is his POV for the majority of this chapter :). Hope you like the new chapter and thanks for reviewing!_

_Maire 53: Glad you liked it! Hope you like this chapter too! And thanks for the review!_

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had sensed a disturbance in the air almost moments after Ms. Kito had left his office. His ears pricked up when he sensed a demonic presence enter the hallway. He waited patiently for it to approach his office, but it stopped and suddenly turned into another office.

_Kagome's office, _he thought, and waited in case the demon was asking for directions to his office. Suddenly the thought of Koga coming back caused a jealous growl to escape his lips and he quickly got out of his chair and headed towards Kagome's office.

But when he reached the hallway he noted that the demon's scent wasn't Koga's, but someone else's. He used his demonic speed to appear at Kagome's door only to see her grabbing onto the desk and a dark haired man a few feet away from her. The man turned towards Sesshomaru and he instantly recognized him.

"Naraku," he growled and saw out of the corner of his eye that Kagome had turned at the sound of his voice.

"Sesshomaru," Naraku smirked. What he was doing in Kagome's office he had no idea. But by the looks of Kagome's paling complexion, he hadn't just come to talk. He couldn't help the protective instinct that overcame when he saw how she looked so vulnerable and scared on her own. He turned back to Naraku and took a few steps towards him.

"Sessho...maru...the...poison," he heard Kagome whisper and saw her outreaching her hand towards him. _Naraku had poisoned her?_ Sesshomaru thought before letting his fangs poke out from under his lips. _How dare he harm her?_ Without thinking he appeared at her side just as she fell forward in a dead faint.

Having another demon in the room caused Sesshomaru's demonic traits to show, so just as Kagome fell forward, she fell into his large tail that was wound around his shoulder. Sesshomaru held Kagome to him as he turned to face Naraku with a warning glance.

"I didn't think you'd get here so fast," Naraku stated before smiling, "are you worried for the human woman's life, Sesshomaru?"

"No," he replied stoically.

"Oh? Then why rush to her aid?" Naraku asked back knowingly.

"Because I couldn't stand the foul stench that was filling up my hallway," Sesshomaru answered.

"I see, well don't think that I'll be easy to dispatch, Sesshomaru. I wouldn't come unprepared," Naraku warned and spread his arms out wide before making a lunge for him. Sesshomaru gently placed Kagome on the floor and caught Naraku's wrist just as he was about to stab him in the neck with his claws.

With a quick motion Sesshomaru broke the demon's wrist and used his free hand to grab for his neck. He dug his claws into his neck and injected his poison inside his body.

"You can't poison me, Sesshomaru. I'm made up of poisonous miasma," Naraku laughed darkly.

"Who said anything about poisoning you?" Sesshomaru asked coolly as he removed his claws from the inside of Naraku's neck and squeezed his fingers together before flicking his wrist to the right and breaking the demon's neck. He dropped the corpse to the ground and saw the body disintegrate, leaving a wooden doll on the ground.

"A puppet," Sesshomaru growled angrily before looking over to Kagome. Her skin was deathly pale and she was taking in ragged, short breathes. He needed to get her help, and because she was poisoned by a demon he couldn't go to a human hospital. He would need help from demons, and he knew which one he had to go to. Though he _desperately_ wished he didn't have to.

(Divider)

"Father," Sesshomaru greeted stoically to the dog demon who was standing on the other side of the opened door. InuTashio blinked twice at him before grinning.

"Sesshomaru, how good to see you! Have you come to visit your mother and I?" he asked after gathering his bearings at seeing his son at his front door.

"Step-mother," Sesshomaru corrected with a growl.

"I really hoped you would've seen her as your mother after all these years. She does have a soft spot for you, Sesshomaru," InuTashio replied.

"I don't care, she isn't my mother. But I didn't come to argue with you, father. I need your help," Sesshomaru ground out the last part, hating the fact that it had to come to this. But Kagome needed help, and if they didn't act fast she might die... InuTashio's face grew serious at that and his eyes narrowed as he studied his son.

"Is Rin in trouble?" he asked solemnly. InuTashio and his human mate usually would stop by and visit Sesshomaru. After he had adopted Rin, by default they ended up meeting her and becoming introduced to the odd exception that was Rin.

"No, there is another that needs help," Sesshomaru replied. InuTashio let out a sigh before nodding.

"Of course son, whatever you need," he answered with a curt nod.

(Divider)

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's been much too long!" Myoga, InuTashio's retainer, cried out before making a jump for his nose.

"Do not touch me," Sesshomaru seethed and the flea instantly jumped into Izayoi's waiting hands before producing a handkerchief from his breast pocket and rubbing the side of his head. Rin giggled from behind Sesshomaru before patting Myoga softly on the head. Jaken only narrowed his eyes at the flea before looking up at him.

"Cold as always I see, Lord Sesshomaru," Myoga stated with a nervous laugh.

"Come Myoga, this poor woman needs your help," Izayoi stated softly and the flea's face grew serious before he nodded.

"Of course, forgive me Lady Izayoi," Myoga stated before jumping off her hands to land in the bed where a fainted Kagome lay.

"Hmm...I can smell the poison from here. She ingested a lot of it. I don't know if I'll be able to suck it all out," Myoga murmured before rubbing his hands together, "but I'll do my best," and with that jumped onto Kagome's neck and stuck his carrot-like mouth into it and started to suck. Sesshomaru, InuTashio, and Izayoi watched patiently as the little flea demon began to grow increasingly larger the more blood he drank. After a couple of seconds he pulled away and rolled off her onto the bed with a grunt.

"Ugh...that's all I can drink. There's still a good amount of poison left in her. You'll have to find something else to completely get rid of the poison," Myoga stated hazily, seeming unable to even keep his eyes open. He let out a little hiccup before the eyelids over his eyes drooped down and he succumbed to the sleep that his body needed to rejuvenate back into his normal, tiny body.

Moments later Kagome started to cough and grabbed onto the bed sheets with both of her hands. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, but she didn't seem able to see anything, and her pupils were the size of her irises.

"She's awake," Izayoi noted with relief, but gasped when Kagome began to cough harder and bucked a couple of times on the bed. Her eyes reverted to the back of her head and foam started to form at the side of her mouth. Rin let out a terrified scream before taking a few steps towards Kagome.

"Jaken, get her out of here. She doesn't need to see this," Sesshomaru ordered gruffly, trying to block Rin's view of Kagome with his body, as the little demon nodded before pushing a stubborn Rin out of the room. InuTashio made sure to lock the door behind them.

"The poison is attacking her system. We need to move fast," InuTashio stated before turning to Sesshomaru, "you probably won't like this, but you can save her with your blood," he informed Sesshomaru. He merely rose a brow, coaxing him to continue.

"The blood of a demon is much stronger at fighting diseases and poison than the blood of a human. Give her a good amount of your blood and she'll be able to make a full recovery," his father stated.

"But Lord InuTashio! Wouldn't that put Sesshomaru in jeopardy of mating with her?" Myoga asked exasperatedly.

"Yes, but if you can restrain yourself your blood will naturally become part of her and in the end save her. If you can control yourself long enough for your blood to kill off the poison then she will be fine," InuTashio informed him.

"You make me sound like I cannot control myself, father," Sesshomaru stated as merely an observation rather than a scowl.

"I'm not questioning your control, Sesshomaru. When you transfer blood to another you become connected with that person. Meaning you'll feel whatever Kagome feels, and that's what I'm worried about. As a human she may react more than a demon ever would to pain and...other things,"

"React?" Sesshomaru parroted back to him.

"Yes, transferring blood is the first step to mating. It is meant to awaken a demon's or demoness's sexual needs, and is felt by the one who gave them the blood," InuTashio stated.

"It's the first step in a dog demon's mating process, and since dog demons usually mate with other dog demons it makes the demon go into a state of heat. That heat instantly helps with the rest of the steps of mating," Myoga clarified, though Sesshomaru really wished he hadn't. Though he was over six hundred years old, he couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable talking about such things with his father and retainer.

"And given that this woman is human...those sexual needs with be much stronger then any demoness's would be. Humans are weaker than demons, and thus cannot contain as much as we can. When you transfer your blood to her, she'll be driven into heat, and not only will you smell it but you'll feel all that she feels. She may start to fantasize sexual acts or situations with you in it, and they'll feel as real as if it were truly happening. It's only natural since transferring blood is supposed to initiate mating for demons," InuTashio roughly explained.

"So she won't just be in heat, she'll be going through heat fifty times harder than any demoness would. Also, as a human, she may inherit some of your powers, or get some of her very own. It all depends on how her body reacts to your blood," Myoga added.

Sesshomaru felt his eyebrow twitch at the sheer awkwardness that overcame the group that all he could do was stand there. He knew he needed to help Kagome, she was still bucking and moaning on the bed in agony. Without discussing it any further with the people in the room, Sesshomaru bit into his wrist and made his way towards Kagome.

"Wait son," InuTashio called and Sesshomaru paused,"let me collect others to help, believe me we'll need them once Kagome starts going through heat," InuTashio added.

Looking over to Kagome he could only nod. He didn't want to forever bind her to him without her permission. He would not force her into anything she had no choice in. He saw Izayoi make her way over to Kagome's side and gently rubbed the woman's forehead with her hand. Kagome stopped moving, but continued to moan.

"I'll be sure to hurry," InuTashio added before instantly disappearing from the room.

(Divider)

A few minutes later the group were joined by InuKimi(A/N: Sesshy's mom, I don't know if that's her name but that's what I'm going to use) and Inuyasha. InuKimi gently cupped Sesshomaru's cheek before gracefully stepping to his side. Neither spoke, but neither wanted to either. When Inuyasha walked in the two brothers glared at one another, but Inuyasha stopped when he noticed Kagome on the bed.

"What the hell did you do to Kagome?" Inuyasha barked at him, with which Sesshomaru only growled menacingly back at him.

"Nothing. It was Naraku who attacked her," Sesshomaru answered and felt his eyes grow red when he saw Inuyasha make his way towards Kagome's side. Izayoi had cleaned her face, but she was still moaning and holding onto the bed sheets as if it were her lifeline. Inuyasha took one of her hands in his and gently squeezed it.

"Hey Kagome, I'm here. It'll be alright," he soothed and Kagome opened her eyes before a small smile spread across her face.

"Inu...yasha..." she murmured and Inuyasha nodded before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"_Another_ human, Sesshomaru? I thought it was bad enough you had Rin," InuKimi scolded before glaring at Inuyasha who was still holding onto Kagome's hand, "filthy half-breed child," she murmured angrily to herself.

"Mother, control yourself," Sesshomaru advised and the demoness looked back at him with a disapproving glance.

"Don't talk to me like that. You should be grateful I came," she growled, but Sesshomaru merely ignored her and turned his attention back to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"It...hurts..." Kagome whispered before closing her eyes tightly and letting out another moan. Inuyasha watched her sadly before giving her hand another squeeze and standing up. Then he looked at InuTashio.

"What can I do?" he asked and the older dog demon shook his head.

"Nothing, only Sesshomaru can help her now. I cannot because I am bound to Izayoi, so my blood would have no affect on her. Neither would InuKimi's because she is also bound to another," InuTashio explained, and then turned towards Sesshomaru.

"It's time, Sesshomaru. InuKimi, Inuyasha and I will be able to hold you once she begins to...react," InuTashio promised and Sesshomaru nodded towards him before biting into his wrist and walked the short distance to approach Kagome. She looked up at him with hazy eyes before they began to water.

"Sessh...omaru...please...make it...stop," she begged quietly and Sesshomaru bent next to her and gently pulled her up into a sitting position. Once she was situated, he stood up and presented his bleeding wrist to her. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly forward before she looked up at him in confusion.

"Drink," he commanded, "it will make the pain go away," Relief spread across Kagome's face at that as she grabbed his wrist before pressing it to her lips and greedily beginning to drink. After a few gulps Sesshomaru began to feel his human disguise fading and his stripes and crescent moon slowly appear on his face.

Suddenly, he started to feel good, _really_ good, as Kagome kept drinking his blood like it was water. He saw his vision darken and knew his eyes were also turning into their true demonic appearance. Her hands slowly came up from her sides and she grabbed hold of his forearm as she started to suck and Sesshomaru heard an alien sound escape from his throat. He had _moaned_...in_ pleasure_.

"InuKimi, Inuyasha, we need to pull him away from her now," he heard his father command, but it sounded muffled and quiet. His mind kept primarily focused on Kagome, and he felt his body begin to respond to her as he noticed her complexion steadily become healthier, and she no longer seemed to feel sick. Rather, she seemed to look just as pleased as he felt.

A sudden tug on his arms brought him momentarily out of his trance, and he growled at his mother and father who were pulling him away. What outraged him further was when Inuyasha came from behind Kagome and pulled her away from him.

He let out a hiss before lunging forward, intent on killing Inuyasha right there in front of everyone. But his parents held strong and pulled him in the opposite direction. He heard a cry tear from Kagome's lips when they were separated and she pushed and shoved at Inuyasha who was trying to hold her down.

"Hold her there son!" InuTashio yelled, whirling his head around to give his younger son a backward glance, as the two dog demons shoved Sesshomaru against the furthest walls and pinned him there.

Sesshomaru let out an angry growl before trying to free his arms, he wouldn't be separated from Kagome. She needed him! He felt his fangs begin to grow out and the markings on his face turn jagged as he flexed his arm muscles before hitting the other dog demons with his demonic energy. Both InuTashio and InuKimi flinched, and even backed up a step, but didn't let go of him.

"Sesshomaru, you need to resist. Remember what I told you earlier, it's going to be difficult to fight against the urge to mate with her. Her body is going to react by going into heat because it's the first step into mating. You going to feel what she feels!" InuTashio explained as he tried to hold Sesshomaru at bay.

"InuTashio!" Izayoi cried in dismay, and the older dog demon turned to look back at Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshomaru let out an angered roar when he saw that Inuyasha's eyes had grown red and instead of holding Kagome, he was caressing her. Kagome let out a cry before grabbing Inuyasha roughly by the shirt and bringing him down on top of her.

"Izayoi, get Inuyasha off her. I didn't even think that this all could affect Inuyasha too," InuTashio stated angrily, and Sesshomaru saw a vein pop on the side of his father's head as he tried harder to hold back Sesshomaru. His mother seemed to be trying just as hard, her struggles clearly visible on her porcelain white face.

"This is so disgusting. I can't believe he wants to mate with a _human_ woman," she hissed as she dug her claws into Sesshomaru's arm. The dog demon growled at her before hitting his captures with another wave of demonic energy, this time double the amount he had the last time. InuTashio was able to stand his ground, but InuKimi was thrown to the side. It was enough to free one of Sesshomaru's arms and he quickly clawed at his father's arm.

"Sesshomaru, listen to me. You don't want to mate with Kagome, remember?" he growled as he tried his best to hold him at bay. Izayoi had been able to get Inuyasha off Kagome while trying to sooth him quietly, and after a few seconds Inuyasha seemed to be in his right mind again.

"Get him out of here, Izayoi. Having another single male in the room is only going to fuel Sesshomaru's need to mate with Kagome more," Inutashio commanded, and Izayoi nodded before leading the half-demon out of the room, and locked it after. She quickly approached Kagome and bent to rub her forehead.

"Hurry Lady Izayoi! While she is calm you need to tie her to the bedpost," Myoga instructed and she stared at him in disbelief before the flea blushed.

"If you don't, and Lord Sesshomaru doesn't mate with her, she'll start...doing things to herself. It'll only make the mating that much more desirable for Lord Sesshomaru. You can see how powerful he is now when Inuyasha almost mated with her. Imagine her doing things right in front of him!" Myoga exclaimed, all the while blushing profusely. Izayoi blushed as well, but nodded and pulled the bed sheets out from under Kagome quickly and tied both of her hands together before tying her hands to the bedpost.

Suddenly Kagome started to moan, but instead of in pain, she started to moan in pleasure.

"InuKimi! Hurry and help me with Sesshomaru! Kagome is starting to go through heat!" InuTashio yelled, and the dog demoness quickly got to her feet to hold the other side of Sesshomaru against the wall.

Sesshomaru suddenly felt his body feel even better than before, so much better that he temporarily stopped fighting his parents.

Instead, he just stopped to enjoy the feelings that were coursing through his veins. His entire body felt like it was singing, and he closed his eyes to try and block it out. He had heard when his father yelled that Kagome was starting to go through heat. He had wanted her the moment they had been separated, and couldn't believe that the hard part hadn't even come yet.

When he had somewhat blocked out the singing of his body he opened his eyes, but realized he had made a terrible mistake. His eyes instantly found Kagome's form on the bed and saw that she had her eyes tightly shut and had fully arched her back.

She turned her head from side to side and let out a soft sigh before spreading her legs suggestively across the bed. Sesshomaru growled possessively as he watched her attempts to move out of her bounds so she could stop the ache she was feeling. Sesshomaru could feel it too, and it only helped to fuel his agitation that he wasn't allowed to go near her.

Kagome kept wiggling on the bed and was letting out light, airy sighs and moans. His eyelids began to grow heavy and he shut them, only to regret it later when a vision of him possessively entering her appeared in his mind.

It was so real that he could feel her, he could feel their bodies pressed against each other and the bliss he felt at finally sating the powerful need he felt for her. A blissful dog-like whine escaped his lips as he bent his head forward, the vision fading and all the agonizing need returning.

Suddenly, he began to hear dog-like yips and whines coming from Kagome. His head shot up and he stared at her as she begged for him in his native language. He growled before pulling against his parents hold, but they held strong and contained him.

"You have to resist, Sesshomaru. You cannot lose control," InuTashio ground out softly as Sesshomaru stared longingly at Kagome with his bleeding red eyes.

"Remember it's the blood that is making Kagome act this way," InuTashio added, and to no avail. For Sesshomaru merely ignored him and continued to lunge forward towards Kagome.

"Ugh—how long is this going to go on for InuTashio?" InuKimi asked impatiently, still holding tightly to Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"For as long as it takes for Kagome's body to get used to Sesshomaru's blood. Since they aren't going to mate, it may take a lot longer. But eventually—why the hell does Sesshomaru have to be so strong?—the blood will make itself useful in another way rather than keeping Kagome in heat," InuTashio answered, and nearly lost his hold on him when Sesshomaru sent another wave of demonic energy over the two demons.

"Why can't we just move him to another room?" InuKimi asked angrily when she was almost tossed aside again from the wave of demonic energy.

"Do _you_ want to move him?" InuTashio asked angrily back to his ex-mate.

"Fine, you ungrateful man," InuKimi scolded as she let her eyes turn red and her demonic nature began to show as she growled in their native language for Sesshomaru to settle down. He turned his red eyes towards her and growled angrily in return, though in his state of need, the growls held no meaning.

"_Sesshomaru_!" Kagome screamed from the bed as she arched her body as far as she could and threw her head back, exposing her neck to their view. Sesshomaru opened his mouth and bared his fangs at her, voicelessly answering her call.

"Izayoi, try to get Inuyasha back in here. I don't know how much longer InuKimi and I will be able to hold him on our own," InuTashio yelled to his human mate, and she nodded before running out of the room to fetch Inuyasha.

"No!" Sesshomaru roared as he glared after the human woman. His motions became more desperate as he fought against InuTashio and InuKimi. He _would not_ allow Inuyasha to go near Kagome again, not when she was acting the way she was.

Inuyasha appeared moments later and whistled at the scene he saw.

"To think, Sesshomaru would act this way around a woman," Inuyasha laughed as he glanced over towards Sesshomaru with a knowing twinkle in his golden eyes before walking over to the dog demons.

"Keep him from moving, Inuyasha," InuTashio commanded and Inuyasha pressed his hands against Sesshomaru's chest and the added force pushed Sesshomaru fully back against the wall. The force caused him to close his eyes and he was thrown into another one of Kagome's fantasies the second his eyelids shut.

This time they were sitting on the bed naked and she was pressed against his chest with her head turned to the right, and his fangs were deeply embedded in her neck. He closed his eyes tightly and willed for the feeling and images to go away, but they only seemed to become more and more vivid and real.

He could _taste_ her flesh as he licked the soft spot of her neck between his fangs, and could _feel_ how soft her skin felt under his hands. He moved his hands up her sides before cupping her right breast as he pulled out his fangs and gently kissed the mate mark he had made there. Kagome let out a scream of pleasure when he began to move his hips inside her. He felt his whole body shudder as he went limp for a moment and let out another desiring whine.

"Uh, sick!" he heard Inuyasha complain, "why are they moaning together? They aren't even touching!" Inuyasha added in disbelief.

"You wouldn't understand, and hopefully won't need to either. Kagome is reacting to Sesshomaru's blood, and is feeling all that she feels," InuTashio replied.

Then just as suddenly as all the feelings had started, they stopped. Sesshomaru stopped fighting all together and the others stepped back to let him fall to the ground in a heap of tired and twitching limbs. It was like a whole weight had been lifted off Sesshomaru's shoulders. All the need, all the desperation to get to Kagome, was gone. Just like that. Sesshomaru looked over to Kagome and saw that she had quieted down as well.

"It's over," InuTashio sighed. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall as he took a few inward breathes to calm himself down.

"Kagome fell asleep," Izayoi called to the group, and InuTashio turned to her with a smile.

"Ah memories, right Izayoi?" he asked, and Sesshomaru heard his mate giggle.

"Oh, gross," Inuyasha chocked out as he made a face at the two.

"Quite," InuKimi agreed icily before turning to Sesshomaru, "well now that you're back to normal, I'm leaving," she stated and left the room without another word. InuTashio watched her go before grinning from ear to ear at Sesshomaru.

"Well, now you know how it feels to connect with someone. Now you get to experience that every time Kagome's in the _mood_," InuTashio commented and laughed when he saw a faint look of horror cross over Sesshomaru's face.

"I'm only pulling your leg, son. You will feel it if she is though, just not as intense. It should be pretty easy to ignore," the dog demon laughed.

"Feh," Inuyasha huffed, "why couldn't _I_ have helped Kagome, pops?"

"I'm sorry son, but only a full demon's blood would've helped her in the situation she was in. Your blood wouldn't have been strong enough," InuTashio answered as gently as he could, "and I figured that she was Sesshomaru's woman, so..."

"She is _not_ Sesshomaru's _woman_!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as he glared at his father, and then at Sesshomaru.

"Alright enough, both of you!" Izayoi scolded quietly, "Kagome is sleeping, do you want to wake her?"

"Sorry my dove, you're right. We should leave, Inuyasha," InuTashio stated, looking from Izayoi to Inuyasha.

"What? We're leaving Kagome here with _him_?" Inuyasha asked in outrage.

"The worst is over, so yes, we are. Sesshomaru should be fine from here on out, won't you son?" InuTashio asked Sesshomaru in complete confidence. He only nodded and watched as InuTashio and Izayoi tugged a fuming Inuyasha out of the room.

(Divider)

The next couple of days were uneventful after that "experience." Sesshomaru sat by Kagome's bedside almost around the clock. He'd go to his study to get some work done, but after he finished he'd come back to sit in a chair beside her bed. She'd only move every few hours or so, and it'd be to ask for water or something to eat. He'd get one of the maids to help her if she asked to go to the bathroom.

Rin was a current visitor as well, worried about her favorite human. Though, the little girl did favor Izayoi greatly as well, but not nearly as much as Kagome. Rin would ask numerous times if Kagome was going to be alright, and each time Sesshomaru would answer her with a simple "yes."

While Kagome's sexual feelings had dimmed, she did go through occasional pain, her body still trying to adjust to the demon blood coursing through her veins. Unlike the poison, the demon blood would never leave her system. Which made it useful if she ever grew sick or got poisoned again, but it also made it more painful for Kagome to get used to.

If only he had been there before Naraku had come to her office, then they wouldn't have needed to go through all this mess. Which reminded him...if only a certain _toad_ demon had warned him about Naraku's arrival, then they wouldn't be in all this mess.

"Jaken," he growled before leaving the room in search of the little demon.

(Divider)

Kagome moved her head slightly before her eyes slowly opened and the first thing she noticed was that she could _see_ again. She then realized that she was lying down in a bed, a very familiar bed, and instantly sat up.

She looked around the room to see that she was in the room that Sesshomaru had given her, which meant she was back at his house again. What had happened? Kagome instantly froze when another thought hit her, what had happened to Naraku?

"You're awake!" Rin called from the side of the bed. Kagome turned her head around to see Rin bounce off a chair that had been placed next to her bed. The little girl hurriedly climbed on the bed and embraced Kagome gently. Kagome smiled down at her before returning the hug.

"Yes, I suppose I am," she replied, "where's Sesshomaru?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, he went downstairs to beat up Jaken. Jaken watches over the entrance you see, and when he wasn't able to inform Sesshomaru of Naraku's presence Sesshomaru got angry. He said that if Jaken had only told him earlier, then Naraku would've never made it to your office," Rin explained and Kagome gasped.

"But I'm alright now! Surely that's uncalled for," Kagome insisted and Rin smiled at her.

"You haven't been here long enough to know but, we take personal pleasure in torturing Jaken," she informed her with a giggle. Kagome could only stare at her in bewilderment, torture the poor man..._for fun_?

"Why does Jaken live here if he's always tortured?" Kagome asked and Rin shrugged.

"He likes Sesshomaru I guess, enough that he's willing to put up with all the beatings," Rin answered.

"Why did you switch from Daddy to Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, unsure if the switching had a significant meaning.

"Well Sesshomaru isn't my real dad, he just adopted me. But it's the respectable thing to call him, so I do. But I like calling him Sesshomaru too, so when we are around people we trust I call him by Sesshomaru. It's also the only thing I called him when I got to this house," Rin replied as she stared around the room, as if it brought out old memories for her.

"How did you two meet?" Kagome asked, though regretted it when she saw the little girl instantly look towards the ground with a sad tint in those cinnamon colored depths. It was the first time Kagome had ever seen sorrow in the little girl's eyes.

"Both my parents and siblings were killed by robbers, and they burned the house down with their bodies still inside. I was able to stay alive because I played dead after the robbers had beaten me, and when they set the house on fire I was able to escape through a window. After that, I had no where to live, so I lived on the streets," Kagome's eyes saddened and Rin gave her a half smile.

"But I did alright for a while, a lot of the other homeless people were kind enough to take me into their group and feed me. But after a few weeks others started noticing that I got a lot more money begging than they did, and they started stealing from me. Most of the time I just gave it to them, but they beat me anyway...

(A/N: Alright, I'm gonna do this part in flashback, because it's easier this way than trying to have Rin explain it all. Keep in mind she _is_ explaining all of this to Kagome, it's just that you as the readers get a POV from Rin :D)

(flashback)

Rin sat on an empty cardboard box hidden away by the shadows of the corporate buildings while she ate half of a turkey sandwich and an apple she had stolen from a nearby restaurant table. It was leftovers that the person who ordered it didn't want, so Rin was really doing the restaurant a favor by stealing it. They'd probably just toss it away anyway, so why waste the food?

She smiled to herself, thinking about how good of a girl she was being by not wasting unfinished food. Hopefully things would start looking up for her soon. She didn't think she could live on the streets, barely surviving, forever. A nearby boy crawled out from another box across from hers and sniffed the air.

"You found food?" he asked in surprise before staring at the food she was eating. Rin tensed and held the food closer to her body; she wouldn't give up what little scraps she had found. She had given the others enough of her money and food since she had arrived, surely she deserved to get _one_ meal undisturbed. The little boy stared at her for a moment before getting up and pointing at her.

"She's got food!" he cried out, and right after his voice finished echoing throughout the alleyway all the other homeless people that hung around came out from hiding to stare at her. Rin stared back at them in shock and fear before hastily jumping off her box and making a dash for the end of the alley.

She heard rapid footsteps and whirled her head around to see a whole bunch of the other homeless people hastily chasing after her. She let out a terrified gasp before she made it to the sidewalk of the busy street and took in a few ragged breathes.

They wouldn't beat her out in the open, it would jeopardize their chances of getting money from the wealthy city people who usually walked by this alleyway. That's why so many lived in that alley in the first place, they were the luckiest when it came to getting pity money.

Rin warily turned back to see them all standing in the shadows, but she didn't miss the threats that gleamed in their desperate eyes. Their once sweet attitudes had changed when Rin had become the "popular" homeless girl and started receiving a lot of money from people. One old women even stopped by once a week with a basket of cookies that she baked especially for Rin.

Since then their attitudes had changed and she was the most hated one of the homeless community. She just wished that somehow she could go back to the way it was before her parents were killed. Suddenly, just as Rin thought of her dad a stranger walked down the street towards her wearing a suit that looked just like the ones her dad used to wear. _Papa._

Her dad's long black hair swayed in the wind and his chocolate eyes were smiling and when they turned towards her they sparkled like they always did whenever he saw her. Rin's eyes watered as she stared up at him and couldn't help but make a mad dash towards him.

But just as she made it within speaking distance of him, the mirage faded away to show a much colder looking man with long silvery hair instead of her father's thick black locks. He was very tall, taller than any man Rin had ever seen.

He was also very beautiful, almost too beautiful for a man. His sheer perfection caused Rin's mouth to fall open in disbelief before she mentally shook herself awake. Rin's eyes then widened when she noted her mistake, and she quickly looked around for a possible excuse for approaching the man.

He stared down at her impatiently, his golden eyes seeming to try and figure out her motive for approaching him. Much as Rin was trying to do by hastily thinking on her feet. Rin looked down to see that she was still holding the turkey sandwich and apple.

But the turkey sandwich was almost gone so she lifted up the green apple she hadn't eaten yet and presented it to him. He lifted one thin eyebrow before looking above her head.

"I do not need such things from you. Be gone from my sight," he commanded and Rin felt her heart fall at his emotionless words and she turned her head down to the ground and let her arm fall limply to her side. She stepped to the left and allowed him to pass. He didn't cast her a second glance as he disappeared into the mass of city people walking back and forth on that same sidewalk.

Rin watched him go and felt her eyes prickle with tears. She wouldn't give up just because he refused her this once, he was the only thing that had caused such a stirring in her in over a year. She wouldn't give that up, not when he had allowed her to see her father again. Oh, it had been so beautiful to see such a vivid picture of her dad. If this stranger allowed her that luxury, then she would never give up on him.

Over the next few days Rin waited on that sidewalk for the beautiful man to pass by again. Each day she had a different kind of food with her, in hopes that she'd eventually find what he liked. And each day he refused her, though his words were gentler each time.

Then one day he surprised her, he came looking for _her_.

She knew he had because she had been running late after grabbing a few tomatoes from an open box that the restaurant she usually went to left on the side of the building. When she made it to the sidewalk she saw the man standing where she usually did, and seemed to look slightly disappointed at her absence.

She rushed over to him and he just looked at her for a moment, as if not believing she was truly there, but then straightened and stared down at her with his typical cold, impatient gaze. She gave him a smile, feeling inwardly touched that she could possibly mean anything to this man, and showed him the tomatoes she had collected.

"Tomatoes this time?" he asked with slight curiosity and Rin enthusiastically nodded.

"If I take these, I feel like I should pay for them. I will not take them just as gifts. It's obvious you're malnourished and in need of food yourself," the man stated sternly and Rin cocked her head to the side in bewilderment, but didn't refuse him. He pulled out a twenty and handed it to her, and took the three tomatoes that she had. Rin blinked at the bill before looking up at him guiltily. There was no way that three tomatoes could ever cost that much.

"Go buy food with that money," the man ordered and Rin nodded before bowing to him. The man didn't reply, but turned and went on his way, still carrying her tomatoes in his hands. Rin stared after him, and once he was gone, did her own little happy dance. Twenty dollars! It was enough to go to a restaurant and actually pay for her food rather than steal it. Or she could buy a brand new outfit to wear! Rin decided on the food since the man had asked that of her, and she was indebted to him even though she had exchanged the tomatoes for it.

After that, days began to slowly become better for Rin. Each day the beautiful man gave her a twenty for whatever food she had brought him. And each day Rin got a good meal and saved up her change until she had enough to buy a couple of outfits to change into every few days.

The only downside to all of Rin's happiness was the envy that she could sense from all the other homeless people living around her. Each day they glared at her when she came back from the store or a restaurant with money and a full belly. But she kept to herself and tried her best not to coax any of the others to beat her. Of course they usually did, and stole whatever money she had left, but they never beat her too much because they were afraid her bruises may stop the beautiful man from giving her money.

It was an ongoing cycle until one day the man caught her getting her daily beating. Rin assumed he had been coming back from work, though she had never seen him pass by twice in one day. When Rin had been thrown to the ground and had been kicked in the side he appeared before her attackers. It was like he could somehow sense that she was in trouble. He looked at her attackers and then at her, but only for a moment. Then something amazing happened.

His eyes turned red and his silvery hair began to float all around him as he growled at the others. Rin heard one of the men let out a cry of fear before making a run for it. The man's red eyes followed his movements before he cracked his knuckles and whipped his hand towards the side, producing a long green string from his fingertips. With another crack of his wrist the string instantly grabbed the man's ankles and he tumbled to the ground.

"A demon! I didn't think there were any left!" another attacker cried out in disbelieve. The beautiful man adverted his eyes to the man that had talked and then instantly appeared before him. He frantically backed up, but the silver haired man was too fast. He grabbed him by his neck before effortlessly lifting him off the ground.

"You will never hurt this girl again," he commanded in his cold voice. The man instantly agreed and he was dropped to the ground. The silver haired man turned his back on the attacker and looked down at Rin and seemed about to say something, but her third and final attacker lunged at him with a pocketknife. Rin had remembered seeing him steal that knife from another homeless person, and knew that he always saved the weapon for making the final blow in a fight.

"Die demon!" he screamed, but the silvery haired man was able to easily dodge him and brought his elbow down onto the middle of his back, sending him roughly to the ground. Rin let out a gasp when she saw that the man's body had actually created a little crater in the concrete. The other two attackers stared in amazement at the beautiful man, but tensed when he turned to look at them.

"Leave," he commanded and the two were gone almost as fast as the so called "demon" had appeared.

When all was quiet the silvery haired man turned towards Rin again before looking ahead of her.

"Come with me if you wish. It would be safer than staying here," he offered, and Rin noted that he seemed sincere. It amazed her how his attitude somehow changed from when he spoke to her than when he spoke to her attackers. When she didn't answer immediately, he started to walk away. Before Rin could consider the pros and cons of going with this strange man, she hurried after him...

(End flashback)

"And that was pretty much it," Rin added at the end of her description. Kagome could only stare at her in awe and amazement. The little girl had suffered at the hands of humans for over a year, it was no wonder that she was uncomfortable around them. Not to mention that the only one that reached out to her in her time of need was a demon, rather than a human.

"Sesshomaru must have grown so attached to you during that time. I'm so happy he did Rin, you are a perfect little girl, and deserve the best," Kagome stated sincerely before taking Rin into a warm hug. Rin giggled, but held onto her and returned the hug.

"I'm going to go tell Sesshomaru you're awake, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear you're alright," Rin smiled before hopping off the bed and, with a light giggle, ran out of the room with her hands outstretched like airplane wings.

(Divider)

"S – Sir! Pl – Please forgive me!" Jaken begged and fell to his knees before Sesshomaru, "if I had only been paying more attention to who was coming in and out of the building! I promise I'll be on high alert from now on!" the little demon added in desperation. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the demon before he grabbed him by his little head and picked him up so he was at the taller demon's eye level.

"You do understand what could've happened if I had been even a second later than I was in killing off Naraku's puppet?" Sesshomaru asked and noticed the little man begin to sweat tremendously.

"O – Of course Lord Sesshomaru, and believe me I'm happy that nothing did happen to Kag – Ms. Higurashi. Oh please have mercy on me, my lord!" Jaken slapped his hands together and pleaded.

"I should make you suffer for what you've done," Sesshomaru threatened, making sure to keep his voice level. It always seemed to add to his already terrifying threat. Jaken let out a squawk of disbelief before he covered his eyes with one of his sleeves.

"Sesshomaru! Kagome is awake now!" the light sound of Rin's voice temporarily distracted Sesshomaru from breaking Jaken's neck as he turned toward the little girl who had appeared at his side.

"How is she?" he asked coolly.

"She's fine," Rin smiled, "we talked a lot in her room, but I'm sure she'd want to see you too," Rin coaxed and Sesshomaru dropped Jaken onto the floor and calmly made his way out of the room. He heard the soft sounds of Rin cooing to Jaken that he was fine and that everything was alright, but didn't pause to hear the rest when he made it to the top of the stairs.

Kagome hadn't been up for a couple of hours, would she still be in the wild mood that she had been days before? Surely his blood had been digested by now, so she should be back to her normal self. He quieted his thoughts when he reached her door.

"Come in, Sesshomaru," she called and Sesshomaru temporarily froze. She must've been able to sense him there, was this what Myoga had warned about? Kagome possibly inheriting some of his powers due to the transfer of blood?

He decided to not make her wait any longer and opened the door. Kagome was sitting up on the bed with the covers folded around her waist. She was wearing a light blue nightgown that his step-mother had dressed her in. She had come everyday since the day he offered Kagome his blood to bathe her and change her into a different nightgown.

"You look well," he observed and Kagome nodded after a moment of hesitation. She quickly turned her eyes from his to the ground and started to fidget her hands with the blanket covers.

"What happened to me?" she asked in a whisper after a couple seconds of silence.

"You were poisoned by Naraku's puppet," Sesshomaru replied.

"Naraku's puppet? So you're saying it wasn't even him?" Kagome asked in return and Sesshomaru nodded.

"Naraku wouldn't be stupid enough to come to my office by himself. So he sent a puppet that looked and smelled just like him to go instead. It seems he wished to use you for something," Sesshomaru explained.

"That explains why he came off so fake to me. Because he wasn't even a real person, he was a puppet," Kagome answered. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly at that, he wasn't able to tell that the Naraku in Kagome's office was a puppet until he killed it and the little doll appeared in the place of Naraku's corpse. Yet she had somehow been able to sense that something was off about him, and by the smell of it, Naraku hadn't been in her office for too long.

"What about the poison that was in me?" Kagome asked, breaking off Sesshomaru's train of thought.

"Gone, I gave you some of my blood and it killed off all the poison that you had ingested," Sesshomaru replied.

"Your blood? Yuck, that's gross,"

"You didn't seem to think that way when you were drinking it,"

"What? I don't remember drinking anything! After I got poisoned, all I can remember is that you came into my office and everything was blurry and spinning," Kagome answered before her eyes widened, "what else did I do while I was poisoned?"

"I don't think you'd like to know," Sesshomaru replied, and Kagome blushed before she gulped.

"I didn't do anything...bad did I?" she asked nervously.

"No, you didn't harm yourself or anyone else while under the poison, or after you drank my blood,"

"So then why hide what I did from me?"

"Because when you drank my blood, you..._reacted_ to it,"

"Reacted...how?"

"I don't think you really need-"

"Just tell me, Sesshomaru. I'm a grown woman, I can take it,"

"You said things...and wanted things...from me," he stated after a moment of hesitation.

"What kind of things?" Kagome asked, but by the increasing redness of her face Sesshomaru could tell she already had an idea. Sesshomaru inwardly sighed before clearing his throat.

"Sexual things,"

"Did we...do anything?" Kagome asked, still seeming utterly embarrassed at what Sesshomaru had told her.

"No, I had my father, brother, and mother hold me down," Sesshomaru replied and couldn't help the eyebrow twitch that he did in telling her that. It was down right embarrassing that he needed so many people to hold him down so he didn't mate with her. It also bothered him that he had no control when it had happened, he was _never_ out of control.

"Giving my blood to you is the first stage in the demon mating ritual. But I only wished to cure your poison, not forever bind you to me. So, I needed to give my blood, but have others keep me from you, or inevitability I'd end up completing the ritual. It's very hard for demons to control themselves around females in heat, especially if the female had just drunken their blood," Sesshomaru explained as painlessly as he could. Kagome gave him a clueless look before letting out a shriek.

"Oh my god, it's all coming back," she stated before moaning, "I'm so sorry Sesshomaru...I must've completely embarrassed myself in front of you, and everyone else," she murmured before covering her face with her hands.

"What do you remember?" Sesshomaru asked, merely out of curiosity.

"I remember...feeling sick and lying on this bed. And I remember all of the sudden feeling really good, but then you came and we – and we," Kagome couldn't finish the sentence because she covered her mouth and looked up at Sesshomaru before blushing profusely.

"We didn't do anything," Sesshomaru assured, "but you could've fantasized it. The demons that were with me told me that it happens to humans who ingest demonic blood. They tend to become immensely attracted to whoever gave them their blood, and can dream of them sexually," Sesshomaru explained.

"But it all seemed so...real," Kagome stated, though seemed relieved at the fact that nothing had really happened.

"Its the effect of my blood, like I said, it's the first stage of mating. Most demons do not mate with humans, so the blood transfer is used for demonesses. It's a form of foreplay for demons, and makes the demoness go into heat. But since humans are much weaker they fall prey to the same effect, only to a much higher degree. Which would make your fantasies much more real,"

"And you say all that with a straight face," Kagome observed sarcastically.

"Believe me, I had to learn it too. In fact I experienced all that you went through," Sesshomaru admitted.

"What? So everything I imagined...you imagined too?"

"Transferring blood connects you to me. So I feel what you feel, no matter what feeling that is. So when you went into heat, you brought me into heat as well. Only it was much more intense and much harder to ignore when I felt it as you, a human, felt it," Sesshomaru explained and Kagome gaped at him.

"How can you be so level about all of this?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"I've had a couple of days to recover, and you were only in heat until the poison was destroyed in your system. Since I didn't mate with you, my blood made itself useful in other ways. You're senses will be stronger than before, and you may inherit some of my demonic powers or develop some new ones. It all depends on how your body reacts to my blood," Sesshomaru explained. Kagome relaxed for a moment before looking around the room for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't notice anything different,"

"Well it has to be in other situations than in a quiet empty room," Sesshomaru replied and couldn't help another eyebrow twitch, "but you were able to sense me at your door. There's proof that you inherited that portion of my demonic power," he added and Kagome tensed before seeming to think about it.

"Now that you mention it, I _did_ seem to have a weird sense that it was you at the door," she murmured before a big smile spread across her face, "and to think, right before Naraku poisoned me I had been thinking how great it would be to be able to sense people like you do. Now I can, awesome!" she added in delight before giggling to herself.

"Other parts of me may show later on, once you're able to move around again," Sesshomaru commented, "you still need rest, I'll let you sleep,"

"Wait," she called, "before you go...thank you, you really didn't need to help me. Though I'm glad you did, and went through so much just to keep me alive," she added with a sincere smile. Sesshomaru only nodded before turning on his heel and walking out the door, mindful of gently closing the door behind him.

(Divider)


	16. Is it bad if I can feel what you feel?

_Ok this one is really short compared to last chapter, but it ends on a pretty suspenseful note. And I'm sure by now you all know how much I love cliff hangers :) enjoy!_

_Oh, and a side note for all of you who were wondering why all of the sudden I jumped into writing all this sexual stuff...I was listening to Prince the whole time I was writing Sess/Kag moments. So for all of you who have heard his stuff you probably already get why this happened XD. For those who don't almost all his songs are VERY sexual...so it got me in the mood lol. _

_Review Corner_

_Sesshys Mate2012: I know right? Lol Thanks for the review!_

_Caitibug323: Aww I'm glad that you think my story is amazing! :) I love finding awesome stories too and feel truly touched that I could be an author of an amazing story! You'll have to wait to hear about Inuyasha, I don't want to spoil it ;) _

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: Haha glad that you liked the last chapter so much :) and it's cool if you miss a chapter. It lets me know that your next review will be even longer since you have to comment on the chapters you missed. What I find funny was that when I was writing InuKimi's lines I wasn't trying to be funny, but looking back at them I could see why they'd be amusing. Thanks for your review! _

_CutieSOS: Haha "squealing mentally" that's awesome! :) Glad that it keeps you guessing, and I'm sure this chapter will be the same way! Thanks for the review!_

_Llebreknit: Lol I knew you'd be pleased :) And I made Sesshy respond so much cause he was feeling it as Kagome feels it. I feel so embarrassed saying it, but its meant to be foreplay. So Sesshomaru is supposed to feel it as intensely as whomever he transferred his blood to. So he'd feel it as much as Kagome feels it, or as Myoga stated "fifty times harder than any demoness would feel" Thanks for the review! And yes they will feel things, but not as intensely as they would sexual feelings. Becoming mates is an intimate thing, so any intimate feelings will be the strongest. All the other feelings will be felt as their own person. So if Kagome is in pain Sesshomaru will only feel a pinch since he's a demon, but if Sesshomaru is in pain, he'd feel a pinch but Kagome would feel like she was being torn apart. That kinda deal. Does that make sense? Lol _

_Shiori Yume: Haha I thought of it as a joke initially cause I had a comic strip idea where Sesshy would be in an office meeting and suddenly gets hit by one of Kagome's fantasies. He tries his hardest to concentrate but can't hear a word anyone is saying cause he's being tortured by Kagome's fantasies. So he excuses himself and rushes back to his house where he quite literally breaks down the door to see Kagome in a little lingerie outfit and glares at her before proclaiming "Why won't you let me work woman?" and Kagome smiles before saying "Welcome home darling," At least I thought it was funny XD _

_Crystal jade2: I love that you can't wait! And I don't know if things will, I'm hoping to put some exciting things in the near future. I DID change the rating so that opens up a lot of options for me ;) but we'll see. _

_888Amy888: thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter too!_

_Nobodies Perfect-Not Even You: Aw thank you! The funny thing is that I'm getting the most attention out of this fanfic then my other ones. I wonder if that's telling me to start doing more Sessh/Kag stories...To answer your Inuyasha questions, you'll have to wait. But I can assure you that Inuyasha is much smarter than you might think ;) only hint I'm giving you. _

_Inu-babe34: Aw I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your eye sight! Take breaks next time! Lol haha I love it when people tell me that they are obsessed with my stories, I feel so special :) thanks for the review and hope you like this chapter! _

(Divider)

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried out exasperatedly as he ran into the room Sesshomaru was presently residing in. The demon turned towards the little toad in mild interest, but showed no other emotion. Jaken quickly bowed to him before continuing.

"There's been a...horrible accident. Your father demands your presence immediately," Jaken added and momentarily shuddered when Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed into deathly slits. The dog demon stood up and made his way around the little demon before heading towards the door, but paused before opening it.

"Watch after Kagome and Rin. You are free to use Ahun," Sesshomaru stated, only turning slightly sideways to look down at his servant. Jaken stared up at him for a moment before quickly bowing his head on the ground.

"Of course, my lord. I will protect them with my life!" he exclaimed, but let out a squawk when he realized that his lord was no longer there.

(Divider)

"Sesshomaru left," Kagome stated out of the blue. Rin turned towards her in surprise before setting down her snowman cookie cutter.

"Where did he go?" Rin asked curiously.

"I don't know. But I suddenly felt a pull and I feel...empty inside," Kagome replied, trying to describe her feelings to Rin. She didn't really know how to in all honesty. She hadn't really "felt" Sesshomaru's presence in the house moments before, but she _had_ felt oddly warm and safe, and when he left she suddenly felt cold and alone.

Rin cocked her head to the side before gently shaking her arm, "Kagome? Are you alright?" she asked and seemed worried when Kagome didn't answer her after a couple of seconds. Kagome felt a clutter of images and smells enter her mind all at once and she felt momentarily overwhelmed.

She saw snow, and cars, and people walking across the street. She could smell the evergreen trees, and could hear the pounding of feet like they were drumbeats; and then suddenly, she could hear Sesshomaru's voice in her head, it started as a low whisper but began to grow steadily louder. She also noted that the words he said were in fragments, like they were thoughts.

"_Terrible accident...Father wants to see...human mate's fault...Inuyasha...betrayal...Kagome...Rin...in danger,"_ Kagome felt her eyes widen as she took in his message, what could he possibly mean? And why did he leave without telling her, or at least warning her that they'd be alone?

"Kagome!" Rin cried out, and when Kagome's mind focused on the present she noticed that Rin had grabbed both her arms and was shaking her as hard as her little arm muscles could.

"I'm alright, Rin. I'm sorry," Kagome apologized and Rin let her go before looking her up and down as if looking for an explanation.

"Why wouldn't you answer?" Rin asked after a moment of silence.

"I was daydreaming," Kagome fibbed with a nervous laugh. She didn't want to tell Rin the truth, she'd probably think she was crazy. She didn't even know if what she had heard was truthful or not. She could still be sick from Naraku's poison and could've hallucinated it all. But it seemed so real, and Sesshomaru's voice sounded like he had been standing behind her, whispering it in her ear.

Rin didn't seem fully convinced, but she didn't ask her any more questions. Kagome was thankful that Rin seemed to be able to tell when someone wanted to talk and when someone didn't. It made staying in the room with her a little easier. Though, Kagome was asking _herself_ a whole bunch of questions.

Like were all those things hallucinations, or had she somehow been able to connect to Sesshomaru, and been able to read his thoughts? Could he then connect to her, and in turn, read her thoughts? She closed her eyes and tried her hardest to focus her thoughts into a message.

"_Sesshomaru...where did you go?"_ there was silence for a couple of seconds before she felt her body heat up and she clutched her chest before falling suddenly to her knees. Rin let out a surprised cry before jumping down from her stool to grab onto Kagome's shoulder.

"Ms. Higurashi!" Kagome turned her head slowly to the right to see Jaken standing in the kitchen doorway, looking completely horrified, "what happened?" he squawked.

"I don't...know. I just...felt a lot of...pain...all of the...sudden," Kagome replied through heavy breathes, the burning sensation still stinging inside her chest.

"What kind of pain?" Jaken asked urgently.

"Burning...I feel like...I'm on...fire," Kagome answered softly as Jaken approached her before placing a wet towel on top of her head. Kagome stared at him in bewilderment before suddenly she could smell the most heavenly scent. It was like roses and freshly cut grass. Kagome was so overwhelmed by the smell that the pain numbed a little. She relaxed her tense muscles and rested her back against the cupboard behind her.

"Lady Izayoi gave me this when she would come to bathe and dress you. She told me that you'd need it in the near future," Jaken stated and seemed ultimately proud of himself when Kagome gratefully thanked him.

"What's happening to you?" Rin asked, and Kagome felt a pang in her chest when she saw the little girl's eyes glisten with unshed tears. Jaken crossed his arms before closing his eyes and taking a moment before speaking.

"Lord Sesshomaru's great father mentioned to me that they were connected, though not as powerfully as mates. So you would feel what he feels, and he would feel what you do,"

"Is Sesshomaru in trouble?" Kagome asked, noting that the burning feeling was starting to diminish.

"Hardly! Lord Sesshomaru is the most powerful demon in the world! Nothing could ever put him in danger!" Jaken exclaimed.

"The only thing I could think of is that because you're human you felt the pain a lot more than he did. Sesshomaru is not known to show emotions, most of all pain! He'll take any hit without so much as flinching!" Jaken gushed, "but since he is connected to a human, all his "pain" would be felt by you as well. So while Sesshomaru virtually feels no pain as a demon, you feel intense pain as a human," Jaken added.

"The burning is starting to fade," Kagome informed them as Jaken nodded his head confidently.

"Of course, because Lord Sesshomaru can never be overcome! He must be in battle with someone," Jaken stated, "have you felt anything else from him?" he asked.

"No, that was the only pain I felt from him. I think I might have heard his thoughts though. Something about an accident, his father, and how Rin and I were in danger," Kagome replied.

"Y-You heard his thoughts? But that's impossible! Only fully joined mates can do that!" Jaken exclaimed.

"Not only that, I saw images too. I saw snow, and people, and trees," Kagome added as Jaken tumbled over himself in shock. Rin hurried over to gently shake the toad demon awake, and Jaken bounced back on his feet like he hadn't fallen at all.

"This is very strange. I think we should consult with the Great InuTashio and Lady Izayoi about this," Jaken advised and quickly motioned towards the back door, "we must hurry. We can ride Ahun," he added and Rin squealed in delight.

"I love riding Ahun!" Rin exclaimed with a wide grin as Kagome could only stare at them dumbly.

"Who's Ahun?"

(Divider)


	17. He's my WHAT?

_Ok I'm back again! I've been so inspired lately to write for this story, and I wanted to make sure that I get all my ideas down before they disappear from my mind forever! That happens a lot if I put my ideas to the side and do other things. Hope my recent updates make you all very happy! :) _

_Review Corner_

_llebreknit: thanks! I thought it would be a fun idea :) Thanks for the review!_

_Caitibug323: Haha that's why I love cliffys :) it gets people excited to read more! Anyway I can't tell you anything because it would ruin the suspense of it all! But you'll find out, I promise! Thanks for the review!_

_Lady Kami of Dreams: I remember you! I haven't gotten a review from you in a long time! I'm so glad you reviewed another one of my chapters though :) Sorry about the cliffy, but it gets people excited lol. Hope you like this chapter too! Thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: I'm sorry about keeping it short, but it was a good place to stop :). Here's an extra long one just for you! Thanks for the review_

_Crystal jade2: well not entirely, while everyone knows about Inuyasha deciding to work for Naraku, he may betray everyone in another way too! But you'll have to wait and see! _

_Plummet:Oh yea I knew her name was Higurashi, but I liked the sound of Mirotashi better, and they're kind of close! I felt cause it's kind of AU that I'd make her have another last name, I don't know, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing too lol. Anyway thanks for the review!_

_Tinabug:aw thanks so much for your review! I'm glad that you like my writing style and it's easy to read. :) And I always love to hear that my stories become people's favorites!_

_CutieSOS: Well can't really tell you that, sorry :P but it would ruin the story if I revealed it. But You'll find out I promise! Thanks for your review!_

_Inu-babe34: aw so glad that you love the story! It is really transforming for me, it started out as kind of a cutesy story, but is unfolding into a lot more complex and darker plot. Thanks for the review and sorry about the suspenseful cliffy!_

_Sesshy's Mate2012: Thanks for the review and here's the update! _

_Demented-DragonQueen: Haha sorry about that, I love writing but grammar always gets me! I hope it wasn't too bothersome that it distracted you from the story :( I would hate for that to chance the effect in any way. Hopefully this chapter's better! Thanks for the review!_

_Shiori Yume: Haha well here's all the answers for you! Though I didn't let all the cats out of the bag just yet, I gotta keep my Ace up my sleeve :) Thanks for the review!_

_birdy22: here's the next update and I'm glad you like my story! Thanks for the review! _

(Divider)

"A – A – A dragon?" Kagome cried out when she finally got to meet the infamous Ahun. The two headed dragon snorted at her before shaking its two heads in unison as if it were laughing at her.

Rin smiled before grabbing onto Kagome's hand and tugged her into the room. The dragon had been placed in a shed that was set up in Sesshomaru's backyard. It looked like an average tool shed on the outside, but when the trio had walked in, it was anything but average.

It looked like a vegetation paradise that went for miles in all directions. Thousands of flowers and trees were scattered all along the landscape. Kagome could even feel a slight breeze flowing through the area, and there was even a sun that sat in the middle of the blue sky. It was like they had traveled to a whole other world.

Kagome blinked twice at it all before she numbly followed after Rin, feeling so confused how such a place could exist, how such a creature could exist, and also wondering how the press hadn't found out about it yet. Well of course the existence of demons hadn't been in the press either...

"He's a dragon demon, but he's really nice!" Rin chirped happily to Kagome, and once they were within reaching distance of the demon Rin rushed over to stroke his scaly leg. One of the two heads bent down and allowed Rin to pet his nose and run her fingers through his mane.

Kagome watched the interaction with interest before gathering enough courage to outstretch her hand to the other head. The dragon turned both his heads in her direction before taking a step back to lower his body to bow to her. Kagome took an uneasy step back before staring at the dragon in confusion. Why show her so much respect? She had never met the creature before, yet it seemed like he was acknowledging her as his master.

Once the dragon noted that Kagome wasn't going to try and approach him he turned his two heads towards Rin and one head gently rubbed its snout against her cheek. Rin gave out a little giggle before playfully pushing it away. After a moment, Rin turned towards Kagome again before signaling her to come closer. Kagome gave her a nervous nod before gulping loudly and making her way towards the creature.

The two headed dragon snorted at her before lowering his body again and Kagome rose her hands so they were level with her chest and shook them back and forth. "Oh no, please don't do that! You don't have to bow to me," Kagome pleaded and the dragon stood up again before taking a step towards her. Kagome took a hasty step back and the dragon gave out a frustrated snort before taking another step.

"He knows he is needed," Rin informed her, "so he's trying to tell you to get on his back," she added before jumping on top of the large saddle strapped onto the dragon's back. Kagome only stared at the two in shock before covering her face with her hands.

"Ride that? B-But he's a dragon!" Kagome cried, still utterly confused and overwhelmed by it all. Before she had met Sesshomaru she had never believed in demons, or dragons, or even magical gardens inside of tool sheds!

"Yeah, so? Hurry up, or we'll never reach the Great InuTashio's home," Jaken complained as he hurriedly jumped onto the saddle and sat in front of Rin. Kagome glared at the little demon before letting out a sigh and slowly walked over to the dragon.

She eyed it suspiciously as she reached for the end of the saddle and hoisted herself up. The dragon didn't move or make any kind of noise as she sat behind Rin on the saddle. She was surprised that all three of them could fit on the saddle, but was thankful that it wasn't a tight squeeze.

Ahun started walking and after a couple of steps took off into the sky. Kagome let out a shriek as he made it for the part of the sky right above the door, they weren't going to use the door? Kagome shut her eyes tightly and braced for impact, but it never came. After a couple of seconds she squinted one eye open to see that they were in the outside world again, somehow Ahun had transported them out of the tool shed without using the door.

Kagome let out a relieved sigh before grabbing onto the edges of the saddle when Ahun began to climb upward into the clouds.

Kagome assumed it was safer to travel above the clouds because then they were less likely to be seen by anyone. While the trip overall was pretty smooth, they did have to dodge a couple planes on the way. They flew for a good ten minutes before Ahun began to descend downwards.

Once they made it through the clouds, Kagome saw a very large old fashioned collection of houses come into view. Kagome had never seen anything quite like it before. It reminded her of the feudal palaces that had been owned by royalty in the past, but she had never seen one in person before.

Small house-like structures made a square shape on the land and were all connected by long hallways, and it was all one story tall. While it wasn't tall (like Sesshomaru's mansion) it was very wide and covered a lot of land. Kagome knew that owning a house that held such history couldn't be cheap, especially when the estate was huge.

Ahun made it to the ground in front of the entrance and lowered his body so everyone could jump down. Kagome stared in awe at it while the other three made their way up the steps that led to the large front doors. Kagome shook herself out of her trance and jogged to catch up with the others.

Once they all reached the entrance Jaken banged on the door and they all waited patiently for someone to answer. A moment later an old woman pulled the large wooden door open and gave them all a kind smile.

"Why hello there, have you come to see Lord InuTashio and Lady Izayoi?" she asked sweetly, and they all nodded in unison. She nodded in content and opened the door wider before ushering them inside.

"You must all be so cold, it's nearing the winter season, you know. Let me make you all some tea after I inform the Lord and Lady of your arrival," she stated and led them to a lounging area to the left of the entrance. It was big enough that Kagome could've imagined it being a ballroom at one time. This was their sitting area? How many people usually were waiting for the Lord and Lady? And who were Lord InuTashio and Lady Izayoi?

"Don't look so surprised Ms. Higurashi! This is the home of the great dog demon, InuTashio, and his mate," Jaken squawked all knowingly at Kagome after the old woman left. Kagome glared down at him before she huffed and turned her head away from him.

"I'm sorry that _I_ don't know who they are! I've never met them in my life, so how was I supposed to know that they'd be living in such wealth?" Kagome asked back angrily, and heard Jaken fuming next to her, but he wisely didn't say anything in return.

"But Kagome, Lord InuTashio and Lady Izayoi helped you when you were sick before," Rin pointed out while cocking her head cutely to the side. Kagome turned towards the little girl before scratching the back of her head in confusion.

"But I don't remember them..." she murmured, and before she could ask Rin what she knew about what had happened when she was poisoned, two very beautiful people walked in.

A very handsome man came in first, dressed in a traditional warrior uniform. Two swords were strapped to his back and his golden eyes were narrowed to slits as he took in the group standing before him. He had one blue stripe on each cheek and had his white hair pulled up in a high ponytail with bangs on either side of his face. She had never seen someone's hair such a color, and it complimented his face well while adding to the odd beauty that he seemed to possess. Kagome also couldn't believe how broad he was, she had seen muscular men before, but his sheer size topped them all. Looking at him now, Kagome could tell that this was Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father.

The woman came in next, trailing behind him in the most beautiful kimono Kagome had ever seen. Layers of silk covered the woman's body and the outer most layer of the kimono was a dark red, close to the color of blood, and pink lilies were scattered across to decorate the priceless silk.

She had a soft pale face that reminded Kagome of the beautiful Japanese porcelain dolls she had always admired as a child. Her long black hair trailed down her back, and she had full bangs that covered her forehead. She also had soft brown eyes that made her look gentle and kind.

One thing that baffled Kagome was just how small the woman looked compared to the man. She looked so fragile that Kagome feared she would easily shatter before her from the lightest touch. She had to be Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's mother.

Though, Kagome wasn't completely sure since Sesshomaru had said that he was a full demon and Inuyasha was only half. If that were so, then they couldn't have possibly been born from the same mother. If they were they'd be equal, either both full demons or both half-demons.

"Grandpa!" Rin's shout brought Kagome out of her thoughts and she saw Rin make a dash towards the large man before them. Kagome watched in shock as his intimidating features suddenly brightened and he bent on one knee to embrace the little girl.

"Rin! Oh my little angel! How I've missed you so!" the man gushed as he picked Rin up and spun her around a couple of times. The woman behind him covered her mouth elegantly with her kimono sleeve while letting out little giggles.

"I've missed you too, Grandpa!" Rin cried with a big grin as the man gently set her down on the floor. Rin turned towards the beautiful woman behind the man and hurried over to embrace her as well. She bowed down to return the hug, but was not nearly as exuberant as the man had been. Kagome could only assume that she was much more reserved than the man, and saw it as being silly to act in the way he had towards their grandchild.

"I'm surprised that Sesshomaru would come to visit me, and bring you all as well!" the man stated while gently ruffling Rin's hair, "he must surely be in a very good mood," he added with a grin.

"Lord Sesshomaru isn't with us. I sent him off to speak with you, as you had instructed honorable Lord InuTashio," Jaken replied with a low bow. Kagome's eyes immediately widened at Jaken's words, and she realized then that the two beautiful people standing before her were the Lord and Lady of the house. She should have guessed when they both walked in, granted that they both were in very elegant and expensive outfits.

"Instructed? I never gave such instructions to you, Jaken," InuTashio stated in confusion before his eyes narrowed, "that must've been an impostor," he added darkly. Jaken let out a squawk of disbelief before he fell to the ground in a deep bow.

"Please forgive me for making such a mistake most honorable Lord InuTashio! I had no reason to be suspicious when you had appeared before me, so I did not take the time to make sure it was the real you," Jaken explained, his head still on the floor.

"This is very strange. Where did the impostor want Sesshomaru to meet him?" InuTashio asked.

"He said at his home, which I thought meant yours!" Jaken cried.

"Yet, I haven't seen Sesshomaru here yet. Did he leave immediately after you told him?"

"Yes, yes of course! Your impostor made it sound very urgent," Jaken replied as InuTashio looked to the side before turning towards Lady Izayoi.

"Izayoi, I must go find him," he murmured and Izayoi merely nodded once before the demon disappeared in a matter of seconds. Kagome blinked twice in surprise before looking at the spot that the demon had been. Izayoi then smiled at the group before she slowly approached them.

"Let me show you around, since you are our most honorable guests," Izayoi suggested kindly, and Kagome could only nod at her, unsure of what she should do. She had no idea where Sesshomaru was, or what was happening to him. Jaken had been fooled by the impostor, but would Sesshomaru be too?

"Do not worry about Sesshomaru too much. He is a powerful demon, just like his father," Izayoi soothed, and when Kagome looked at her, her eyes softened as if in understanding.

"Yes, thank you," Kagome smiled, truly thankful for Izayoi putting her doubtful thoughts to rest. Izayoi nodded again and motioned for them to follow her. Rin hurried to Kagome's side and held onto her hand as the two demons followed close behind the women.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had been running for quite sometime towards his father's castle. Hidden by a barrier, InuTashio and his human mate were able to live in solitude from the outside world. Though they had many servants, most had no family to speak of so it was possible for them to live in the castle with them. Those kinds of servants were primarily chosen to make it possible to keep the castle hidden from the human-run world. Without many humans walking in and out of the barrier, it drew no unwanted attention from the general public.

His father had an apartment in town that he used for cover whenever he had news reporters following him home, but always escaped in the dead of night to return to the castle and his beloved mate. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he thought about his step-mother. It was her fault that his father left his mother and created his abomination of a half-brother.

Though he hated his half-brother and step-mother, he truly hated his father most of all. He had always looked up to his father as a child, and saw him as a powerful demon who could never grow weak. When Izayoi had been introduced into their lives, and he had been told that she was going to be his new mother, he couldn't help the feeling of betrayal that he felt.

His father had become weak, he had fallen in love with a human and given up all his power and status as a demon to better fit into human society for her. In turn, he and his half-brother were also forced to follow his father's ludicrous rules of acting like a human and hiding their demonic attributes.

As he continued running he felt a slight smirk appear across his face. He figured he could no longer hate his father as much as he previously had, for he too had fallen for a human. He had followed the same path as his father, and thus could no hate him, for if he did then he would also have to hate himself.

As his thoughts continued to drift through his mind he thought of Kagome, and wondered if Jaken and Ahun were enough protection for her. Sesshomaru knew that Naraku would no try to raid his home for her after his first attempt was a failure. No, he'd need to rethink his strategy and construct another puppet before he would strike again. Naraku had only been in her office for a few moments and Sesshomaru was positive that Kagome hadn't told him where she was staying.

Still, he could no shake off the fact that he felt like she was in great danger without him there to protect her. He knew he got possessive at times, he had many times whenever Rin was on her own. The little girl always seemed to get herself into trouble, even if they _were _overmenial matters. He wondered at that moment, with another smirk, if his father saw him as weak. For he didn't have just one, but _two_ humans that meant very much to him.

As if summoned by his thoughts, his father appeared before him. Sesshomaru stopped a few feet away when he caught a whiff of his scent and waited patiently for him to come. The great dog demon made his way out of a cluster of trees to meet Sesshomaru in the clearing that he stood in.

"Sesshomaru," he greeted stoically and Sesshomaru had to hide his surprise at his father's serious tone. Though InuTashio could be intimidating if he chose to, recently that hadn't seemed to be the case. Izayoi had softened the dog demon greatly, and he seemed to favor a much more care-free way of living rather than remaining cold and distant to those around him.

"Father," he greeted stoically in return. The two dog demons stared at one another for a time until InuTashio chose to speak again.

"I assume you received Jaken's message?" he asked.

"Yes, what is so important that you needed to seek me out?" Sesshomaru asked back, his curiosity peaked.

"It seems that Inuyasha is operating behind our back. He wants Kagome for himself, and seems to want to go as far as it takes to get her," InuTashio responded solemnly. Sesshomaru only rose a brow at him before noting that InuTashio looked a bit different than usual. Not including his oddly cold behavior in greeting him, but he also had a crescent moon on his forehead. His father normally did _not_ have a crescent moon on his forehead, for that was his mother's demonic mark.

He narrowed his eyes at him before testing his scent. Yes! Something was definitely different, his scent didn't smell right. _Impostor,_ he thought immediately, but kept his findings to himself. If someone had gone through all the trouble to try and imitate his father, than someone wanted to trap him.

Though, he had no realization why someone would go through all the effort, and he couldn't help the curiosity that continued to peak in his mind at finding out who it was. He was fairly certain that it was one of Naraku's tricks, but if he followed his father's impostor, than maybe he could also find Naraku.

"I see," Sesshomaru replied icily.

"Are you not worried?" his father's impostor asked and Sesshomaru smirked at him.

"Of course not, Kagome means nothing to me," he answered and enjoyed the look of mild shock that crossed over the impostor's face. He covered it quickly before smirking back at Sesshomaru.

"I see. Than I assume I was wasting my time in conversing with you," he stated.

"It seems that way," Sesshomaru answered coolly in reply.

"Then I must be on my way, I assume you will visit me soon?" the impostor asked levelly, and Sesshomaru smirked at him again.

"Why must you go so soon? I shall travel with you right now," Sesshomaru proposed and walked up to the impostor's side. He looked at Sesshomaru in surprise before a mischievous look crossed his features, but he hid it quickly.

"Of course, follow me," he replied nonchalantly, and took off towards the street with his demonic speed, with Sesshomaru not far behind.

(Divider)

"How long have you and InuTashio lived here?" Kagome asked as Izayoi continued to show them around the palace. Izayoi explained each room to the group, but only Kagome was paying attention. She assumed that the others had already had the tour, even Rin didn't seem as enthused as she normally was.

Other than to talk about the rooms, no one really said much. They had already been through over ten ballroom sized rooms, and Kagome was starting to feel uncomfortable in the silence that had fallen over the group.

"Oh my," Izayoi said with a laugh, "it's been so long that I've lost count, but if I had to guess I'd say close to three hundred years,"

"Three hundred?" Kagome exclaimed, "how is that possible? You are human, aren't you?"

"Yes, but InuTashio made me his mate, and that keeps me eternally young. I will age as fast as he does, and I will die when he does," Izayoi replied and Kagome stared at her dumbfounded, still not believing that the beautiful woman before her was over three hundred years old.

"Did you find that wash cloth I gave Jaken useful?" Izayoi asked suddenly, and Kagome nodded.

"Very useful, but how did you know that I'd need it in the first place?"

"You bear Sesshomaru's mark. I saw it when I bathed you,"

"Sesshomaru's mark?"

"Yes, the crescent moon on his forehead. There's one above your right breast," Izayoi stated and Kagome let out a gasp before her face turned completely red. She had no idea that she had bathed her, let alone inspected her body. She had remembered seeing shapes of people when she had been affected by the poison, and when she had had sexual fantasies about Sesshomaru. But she hadn't been able to see anyone's face, just a vague outline of their shape and the colors of their clothing.

"Above my..." Kagome began and couldn't help put pull her top forward to look down. Sure enough, there was a blue crescent moon above her right breast that looked just like a tattoo. But when had she received it? She hadn't remembered Sesshomaru telling her that he had marked her.

"Do not fear it. It is a blessing, because now you can live with Sesshomaru without fear of aging or death," Izayoi explained with a smile.

"But he told me that he had never mated or marked me," Kagome replied in confusion.

"He must've. How else would you have received his mark?"

"If I may, Lady Izayoi?" Jaken butted in and the two women looked down at the tiny toad demon, "but what Ms. Higurashi says is true. I live with Lord Sesshomaru along with Rin, and he never mated with Ms. Higurashi. He was always by her side when she was recovering, and fetched whatever she desired, but he never went as far as to mate with her," he explained. Izayoi looked at the toad in shock before turning back to look at Kagome.

"This is very strange. I've never heard of this happening. I suppose we'll have to ask InuTashio when he returns what he knows," Izayoi replied.

"She is connected to Lord Sesshomaru as well. Ms. Higurashi was just telling me before we arrived that she had heard his thoughts and was able to feel a burning sensation like he had just been in battle," Jaken stated.

"Very interesting, and yet you two aren't mates, but somehow are connected as if you are," Izayoi murmured and continued pondering until they heard the footsteps of someone coming towards the room. When the door opened, the old woman from before entered, holding a silver platter with four tea cups along with a tea kettle balanced on top and gave them all a kind smile.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you all. When I had finished brewing the tea, you all had left the room, and I had to search for you," she stated and Izayoi smiled softly towards her.

"Do not worry Elsa, your tea is most welcome here. Forgive me for moving our guests about the palace. I was excited to show them around," Izayoi replied apologetically, and the old woman smiled back at her before setting the silver platter down on the nearby wooden table.

She gave them a graceful bow before she quickly left the room. When she was gone, Izayoi sat on one of the mats placed next to the table and began pouring tea. Kagome and Rin sat on a mat parallel to Izayoi's and Jaken sat on a mat adjacent from Izayoi, Kagome, and Rin.

"Elsa always makes the best tea, you're all in for a wonderful treat," Izayoi informed them, and Kagome and Rin smiled at her before staring at the cups in anticipation. Once she finished pouring she handed Jaken his cup before giving the other two to Kagome and Rin. The last cup she poured for herself and they all sat and drank their tea in silence.

Kagome was about to finish her tea when she suddenly felt a tug at her mind and heard a faint voice calling out to her.

"_Kagome__,"_ the voice whispered, and after a second she recognized it to be Sesshomaru's voice. She let out a gasp and saw everyone immediately turn towards her. She set her cup down on the table and closed her eyes as she tried to send a message back to him.

"_Sesshomaru, I'm here__," _she said with her mind and waited patiently for an answer.

"_Where is here?__" _he asked moments later.

"_Your parents home. Jaken, Rin, and Ahun are with me," _

"_I am coming to meet you. Don't leave__," _he replied stoically and Kagome nodded before realizing she hadn't answered him.

"_Yes. I won't leave," _

"Kagome?" Kagome turned to look down at Rin who was looking up at her with a worried expression, "did you feel Sesshomaru's pain again?"

"Lord Sesshomaru does not feel pain, Rin!" Jaken cried out in defense of his lord.

"No, he wasn't in pain. He was communicating with me. He asked where I was and told me that he's on his way here," Kagome replied and Rin's shoulders relaxed before she smiled.

"So you can communicate telepathically as well? How odd this relationship between you two seems to be," Izayoi observed, but smiled warmly at Kagome. Izayoi closed her eyes then, and seemed to be thinking. After a couple of seconds she opened her eyes and smiled again.

"InuTashio is on his way back as well. He is glad that Sesshomaru is alright and on his way," Izayoi stated. Kagome realized then that Izayoi must've communicated with InuTashio much like she just had with Sesshomaru.

"Where is your mate mark?" Kagome asked, and although it was a random question, Kagome couldn't help but be curious.

"I have one blue stripe on the right side of my hip," Izayoi replied immediately and traced her index finger along her hip where Kagome speculated the stripe to be. Kagome couldn't believe how proud she sounded of the mark. She supposed it was due to the fact that she loved InuTashio, immensely and saw it as a sign of their love, much like a wedding ring would be.

Kagome looked down around the area the crescent moon was and wondered if she too could be just as proud of the mark as Izayoi was of hers. Izayoi seemed to notice where her thoughts were and reached out a hand to gently grab Kagome's arm.

"I know this is new to you, and may be a bit scary. But do not worry, though I hardly know Sesshomaru personally, I'm sure he will be a very protective and caring mate," Izayoi soothed.

"Does that mean that I have no choice but to be Sesshomaru's mate?" Kagome asked.

"Do you not love Sesshomaru?"

"I don't know," Kagome replied, and quickly adverted her eyes. She sat, thinking sadly, that if it were true, and that she _was_ forced to stay Sesshomaru's mate, that she would never be able to be with Inuyasha again.

It was a very selfish thought, and she knew that she cared for Sesshomaru, but she wasn't sure if what she felt for him was love. What if it was a mistake and in the end they couldn't stand each other? What then? Being a demon's mate sounded much more serious than just a legal bond between two people. Could it possibly be reversed?

"If there is a way to reverse it, than I'm sure InuTashio would know," Izayoi murmured reassuringly as if she were able to read her mind. Kagome could only nod, not really sure what she was going to do. Her thoughts were scattered when she sensed the presence of Sesshomaru and his father making their way towards the room.

"Sesshomaru and InuTashio are here," Kagome stated and Izayoi stared at her for a moment before the two men entered. Izayoi turned her gaze towards them before returning her brown eyes to Kagome, but smiled slightly, seeming to know why Kagome somehow knew they were there.

"I met with Sesshomaru on the way back. It seems Sesshomaru had confronted the impostor and killed whoever it was," InuTashio informed them, and Izayoi nodded once towards him before getting to her feet.

She gracefully made her way to her mate's side and they embraced briefly before exchanging glances. Though they didn't say anything, Kagome was sure they were communicating within their minds. She assumed that it was probably faster and easier to communicate that way than having to repeat it all to everyone.

Sesshomaru stayed by his father's side, but Kagome didn't miss the slightly agitated look that crossed his face when Izayoi and InuTashio embraced. Kagome wondered what could possibly make him dislike her, and assumed that meant that Izayoi was Inuyasha's mother. That would mean that there was another woman that InuTashio had been with to create Sesshomaru, and he left her when he found Izayoi.

Would Sesshomaru also find another in the future? Could InuTashio's past relationship with Sesshomaru's mother be almost similar to theirs? Could InuTashio and Sesshomaru's mother been forced to become mates, and then somehow been able to reverse it? All these questions kept swirling around in Kagome's head and she couldn't help but feel confused and depressed.

"_My mother and father were not forced to be mates. They chose to be, purely because it was beneficial to them both__,_" Sesshomaru voice stated in Kagome's mind. She gasped and instantly turned to look up at Sesshomaru. He was talking with his father, and not looking at her, but spared a glance in her direction every couple of seconds.

"_Can you read my thoughts?__"_ Kagome asked back, making sure to send it through her mind rather than voice it.

"_I can't necessarily __**read **__them, but I can sense what you feel and I can hear short phrases__,"_

"_I'm sorry Sesshomaru, for being so upset like this,"_

"_There is nothing to forgive. It's only natural to react in such a way in your current situation. My father informed me that you bear my mark," _

"_Yes, though I don't know how. You told me before that you didn't mate or mark me,"_

"_My father is just as uncertain as I am how it suddenly appeared on you,"_

"_Is there anyway to reverse it?"_

"_Reverse it?" _

"_Well, since you didn't actually mark me, I feel like it's unfair that we are mates since neither of us decided that we wanted to be," _Kagome reasoned in her mind.

"_Do you not wish to be my mate?" _he asked back, and though he sounded like it didn't bother him either way, Kagome couldn't help but feel horrible if she answered him with a 'yes.'

"_No I didn't say that! I just meant that it's unfair that we didn't have a choice," _

"_From what I've heard from my father, the only ways to reverse it is for one of us to find our true mate, or true love as humans like to call it, or for me to lose in a duel against an enemy who is fighting to make you his mate," _

"_Oh__," _was all Kagome could muster. She didn't know how to react, or what to do. Now that Sesshomaru could hear her thoughts and feel what she felt, it seemed almost impossible to pull away and think on her own. She'd always be fearful that Sesshomaru would overhear and be bothered by what she would think of.

"_I __**am**__ bothered by what you think of. You think too much,__" _Sesshomaru growled and Kagome let out a giggle before it turned into a laugh, and then into a laughing fit. The others turned their heads to look at her, but no one other than Sesshomaru knew why she was laughing. 

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Izayoi asked, but she was smiling from ear-to-ear, as was InuTashio. They both seemed to be able to tell that Sesshomaru and Kagome had been conversing through their minds. Kagome guessed they found it to be funny, because they must've gone through the same thing before. Rin cocked her head to the side, and Jaken merely rolled his eyes and looked the other way.

"Father, we must be going," Sesshomaru stated and InuTashio turned away from a somewhat relaxed (but still giggling) Kagome to look back at his son.

"Of course. Now that you're all safe and together, there is no other reason for you to stay," InuTashio replied. Rin bounced up on her feet and Jaken also rose, and Kagome sat back up before pulling herself up on her feet. Ahun had fallen asleep in a corner of the room and quickly raised his two heads to survey the scene. He seemed to be able to sense that they were leaving and stood up before proceeding towards the trio.

"It was nice meeting you, Kagome," Izayoi stated and gave her a respectful bow. InuTashio agreed and also gave her a bow. Kagome blushed at the respect they were giving her, but bowed in return, thanking them for their kindness. Rin hurried over to embrace her grandparents before jumping onto Ahun's saddle, Jaken not far behind. Just as Kagome was about to hop on she felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder. She turned around to see Sesshomaru standing behind her.

"Travel with me. I wish to speak with you," Sesshomaru whispered, though with that dominating and monotone voice, Kagome couldn't help but feel like a little kid in trouble. She gave a last look at Rin, Jaken, and Ahun before letting go of Ahun's saddle and turned to face Sesshomaru.

"Alright," she replied.

"Ahun. Leave," Sesshomaru ordered and the dragon took a few steps away from the two before taking flight. Kagome watched as a dark purple vortex appeared before the dragon and he flew right into it. Once the end part of his tail entered the vortex it suddenly disappeared. _So that's how he did it_, Kagome thought, remembering how he had gotten out of the tool shed without using the door. (A/N: Completely made up by me, not sure if Ahun can actually do that. But I thought it was cool XD).

"Son," InuTashio called out just as Sesshomaru wound one of his arms around Kagome's waist. Sesshomaru turned towards him, and waited for him to continue.

"If you need help with this Naraku character, do not hesitate to ask for help. You must not let your pride win over your judgment," he warned and Sesshomaru stared at him before looking at Izayoi and then returned his gaze to his father.

"I'll keep that in mind," he stated before turning away from them and looking over Kagome's head. She was about to ask if they were going to leave when they were suddenly encompassed by a bright white light and Kagome could feel their feet leaving the ground as they began to fly away.

(Divider)

_Until next time! _


	18. Naraku means business

_It's been awhile! Sorry for the wait, but this chapter's long so never fear! Also another review corner record! Woo! _

_Review Corner_

_Crystal jade2: well not entirely since Naraku had sent a puppet in disguise as his father. So he just dismisses all he says, assuming that Naraku had staged it all. Clever on Naraku's part. Thanks for the review!_

_Caitibug323: Thanks for your review! Don't worry, once I find a nice place to actually write the mating scene without going beat red I will. I love his power too! :) _

_Lady Kami of Dreams: haha thanks for being willing to review more :). Sorry the mind thing was confusing, it wasn't meant to be lol. Thanks for the review!_

_Birdy22: glad you loved it, and thanks for the review!_

_Llebreknit: aww no worries, Kagome will come around. She's just still in this triangle with Inuyasha and is still hopeful of getting with him, but she won't deny the attraction she has to Sesshomaru. Thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: haha you'll find out now! And this is another even longer chapter for your viewing pleasure :) thanks for the review!_

_Angelapage: aw thanks! Seriously, go Kagome! Lol thanks for the review!_

_Sesshy's Mate 2012: here's the next update! Hope you LOVE it! Thanks for the review!_

_Inu-babe34: glad you like my story :) here's the next update and thanks for the review!_

_Tinabug: glad you liked the update and thanks for the review!_

_Addiesmoon: haha I love it when readers tells me that they read my stories from start to finish without stopping, makes me feel like an awesome writer :). Thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: haha I know you hate surprises and cliffys, and I'm sure you'll hate me even more when you finish this chapter ;P thanks for the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: I changed that little error you caught for me :) thanks again for pointing it out. I was trying to think of ways to break the bond since Inutashio had with InuKimi, and I thought of true love since he was with Izayoi now. I would think more along the lines of fate rather than love at first sight. And yes Naraku will be interesting from here on out, thanks again for the review!_

_Blueminx87: haha here's more for you and thanks for the review!_

_Lynzi18: thanks so much for the review! I love hearing that my readers are addicted to every chapter :) hope you like this chapter!_

_Angelfright: Haha I hear you loud and clear! Here's the next update for you and thanks for the review! _

_Tales Reign: aww I loved reading your review, and how you say that love doesn't begin to describe how you feel about it :) touched me right here (points to heart) thanks so much for the review!_

_Kimmiiee: glad you like it, and thanks for the review! _

(Divider)

"So...what did you want to talk about?" Kagome asked after the few unnerving seconds of silence that being held in Sesshomaru's arms had created between the two as they effortlessly flew through the air. Though they had only left the ground a moment ago, Kagome couldn't help feeling oddly quiet around the demon all of the sudden. Sesshomaru kept his gaze ahead of them when he finally answered.

"Naraku," was his simple answer, and Kagome's eyebrows furrowed forward at the mention of her previous attacker. She had only been with him for a couple of minutes before Sesshomaru had stepped in. What was there to possibly talk about? Then, suddenly, Kagome remembered what Naraku had told her when he had been trying to kidnap her.

"When he was in my office, he told me that he wanted to use me as bait. He said that I could attract you, Inuyasha and Koga all at once. Then he could kill the three of you and take over each of your companies without a problem," Kagome informed him.

"Hn. Such a foolish idea," Sesshomaru responded nonchalantly.

"Do you think he'll try to attack me...a second time?" Kagome asked, and when Sesshomaru remained silent, she visibly gulped.

"You may need extra protection," he admitted after a time.

"What kind of...extra protection?" Kagome couldn't help but ask.

"I'll need to keep you by my side more often. When I'm gone, I'll need to make sure Ahun and Jaken keep an eye on you," Sesshomaru replied coolly. Though it sounded like it'd be annoying to take all of those precautions, Kagome knew they were necessary. If she wanted to stay alive, and keep everyone else alive as well, she'd need to be protected.

"Alright," she agreed without hesitation.

"Do you feel well enough to return to work?" Sesshomaru asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes. I miss it," Kagome admitted and adverted her eyes. She really did miss it, at work her world had seemed so normal. It was after she _left_ work that things started to get weird. _Well that not __**completely**__ true_ she thought. She _had_ find out about demons at work.

She inwardly sighed at the loss of her normal life, but thought that it must've been fate that made of all these things happen to her. Fate that drove Rin to run into her office on her first day. Fate that Sesshomaru met her at her friends' favorite restaurant that Saturday. Fate that Koga showed up and told her about demons. Fate that she was attacked by Naraku, and saved by Sesshomaru.

Kagome felt Sesshomaru's eyes on her, but didn't say anything more. She was touched that he would allow her to continue skipping out on work, but she felt so indebted to him already that she couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

(Divider)

Kagome had just opened the door to her office when she was greeted by all of her co-workers who had somehow been able to squeeze inside the tiny room. Kagome jumped when they all cheered and she was immediately embraced by Sango and Miroku.

"Welcome back Ms. Higurashi," Miroku greeted her with a kind smile.

"We're glad you're alright. When Mr. Tashio told us that you were sick we were all so terribly worried about you," Sango added with a smile of her own. Kagome smiled back at the two, and then at the others surrounding her with smiles. She had no idea that she had mattered so much at InuTashio Corp. but this little display of affection had Kagome teary eyed.

"Thank you all so much," she whispered in a hoarse voice before clearing her throat and rubbing at the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"We're happy you're back," Sango replied quietly so only Kagome could hear, and patted her arm affectionately. Kagome nodded at Sango thankfully, and looked back at the rest of her colleagues before noticing a large banner hanging from the ceiling that spelled out: Welcome Back! We've Missed You!

"Wow! Look at Kagome's office! It's packed with people!" Rin exclaimed, scampering in to grab hold of Kagome's arm. Kagome smiled down at the exuberant girl before giving out a light gasp when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. A second later she was brought up against a broad chest and could sense Sesshomaru's presence behind her.

"I hope everything is to your liking," Sesshomaru commented coolly.

"You planned all this?" Kagome asked in surprise.

"No, Ms. Kito was the brains behind it all, I just helped in getting everyone involved," he replied and Kagome couldn't help but picture him giving the staff his best piercing glare, and threatening to fire them all if they didn't comply to his demands.

"Well, it was wonderful. Thank you," Kagome stated to them all. After the slightly awkward statement, Kagome suddenly remembered that Sesshomaru had put his arm around her (which was still there), wasn't that against company policy?

A few months ago he had threatened to fire Miroku if he had shown any kind of affection towards Sango at work. As if to prove her point, she noted Miroku's angry glance towards Sesshomaru, most likely thinking the same thing.

She felt Sesshomaru's hand tighten around her hip and could feel the anger boiling within Sesshomaru as if it were her own. She wasn't sure if it was because of the fact that Miroku was an employee showing disrespect towards his boss, or just the fact that he was another _male_ that was challenging his views on his own policy.

Kagome intertwined her fingers with Sesshomaru's hand around her hip and tried to think of the most tranquil thoughts she could. She imagined a sunset beach and the rhythmic sound of waves hitting a sandy shore. She couldn't help the proud smirk that spread across her face when she felt Sesshomaru's anger inside begin to slowly fade.

"I'm sorry Mr. Tashio, but I thought public affection within the office area was prohibited," Miroku stated rather icily and the rest of the staff, including Kagome, couldn't help but flinch before turning to look at Sesshomaru for a reaction.

"I'm allowed to show affection towards my _fiancée_," he responded as icily. Kagome's jaw flew open before she stared at him in as much shock as the rest of the staff was.

"_Fiancée_?" the entire staff cried out before they all turned to look at Kagome as if she had any idea how this could have _possibly_ happened. Kagome stared back at them wide eyed before feeling Sesshomaru's hand tighten on her hip again.

"Of course, we're getting married. It happened so unexpectedly, isn't that right, _darling_?" Kagome growled the endearing word towards Sesshomaru, but noted that no one else seemed to notice. Sango burst out into a big grin before looking between the two and sending a wink Kagome's way.

Kagome suddenly spotted her three best friends amongst the large group as they quickly pushed through the mass of employees to come up to embrace her. Ayumi was the first to speak once they all let go of her and had taken a step back.

"When I came by to pick you up after work, Mr. Tashio met me at the entrance and told me that he was going to take care of you. I'm so happy that he ended up proposing," she stated with a warm smile.

"Seriously Kagome! He was gorgeous on the cover of that magazine Eri had, but he's even better looking in person!" Yuka squealed.

"You lucky girl you," Eri teased and nudged Kagome's side and winked. Kagome stared at the three in mild shock, still not believing how well everyone was taking it. Hadn't anyone noticed her sarcasm in the comment she had just made? Or had Sesshomaru intimidated them enough to accept their "engagement?" Kagome snaked a glance behind her to look at Sesshomaru, but his face gave nothing away. She sighed slightly, thinking that she'd probably never find out what had caused the whole staff to be so cheery and accepting of her and Sesshomaru being a "thing."

"We'll have to celebrate your engagement!" Kagome jumped at the sound of InuTashio's voice and whirled her head around to spot the man standing a few feet away. His long white hair was held up in a high ponytail like the first time she had seen him, but noted that this time he was dressed in an expensive black suit. She guessed it was meant to successfully "blend" him in with the human population.

He did look quite handsome in a suit, and there were so many ways to change a person's appearance right now, that his white hair was somewhat believable to have been professionally dyed that way. He smiled warmly at her before Kagome, Rin and Sesshomaru had to step away to allow the rest of the staff through. They all made a mad dash towards the tall man, and Kagome could only assume that InuTashio had been (and probably still was) a very popular person among the employees.

"Come with me," Kagome growled, taking advantage of the fact that the rest of the office body was distracted, as she grabbed Sesshomaru's arm and dragged him out of the office. Rin let go of Kagome's arm before shouting that she was going to go hang out with Grandpa InuTashio. _Good, _Kagome thought, _more time for me to grill Sesshomaru_.

"What does this "grilling" mean? Don't think you can overpower me," Sesshomaru warned as Kagome continued to lead him down the hallway. _Oh there was so much Sesshomaru had to learn about power, and that it's no longer only measured by brute strength _Kagome thought.

"We'll see about that," Kagome whispered menacingly, just in case Sesshomaru's hadn't heard her thoughts. Once they made it to the glass door of his office she opened it before shoving him inside. Without hesitating she shut the door and sent him her angriest glare.

"It's time to explain, Mister. Why am I all of the sudden your _fiancée_?" Kagome asked, and even went as far as to poke him squarely in the chest.

"It's the near equivalent to a demon mate. I couldn't have said you were my wife since everyone believed you were sick, not out getting hitched," Sesshomaru replied civilly, "and since you need to be by my side for protection it was the best excuse I could think of,"

"Well you just think of everything, don't you?" Kagome replied sarcastically before crossing her arms over her chest and turning her back on him, "I just wish you would've told me first, or at least _hinted_ something to me," Kagome huffed, and noted the sounds of footsteps slowly approaching her, and the feel of large hands running up and down her arms slowly. _Very slowly_. Kagome couldn't help the rapid beating of her heart, and the delicious chill that went through her body at having Sesshomaru so close to her.

"You wouldn't have approved," he commented in a seductive whisper.

"How do you know that?" Kagome asked back stubbornly.

"Call it instinct," he whispered in her ear and Kagome felt her whole body heat up when Sesshomaru gently nipped her earlobe.

"Well you still should have told me," Kagome murmured before she was whirled around and pulled up against Sesshomaru's taller frame. She let out a surprised breath before her chin was gently lifted by one of Sesshomaru's long fingers.

She stared up into his golden eyes before her eyes fluttered closed just as Sesshomaru's lips brushed hers. She relished in the feel of his soft lips pressed against hers, and how delicious it felt to be held so tightly against him. She had missed being held like this by him, she had missed _kissing_ him.

Sesshomaru's hand gently ran along the line of her spine before he gently dipped her. Kagome felt completely in bliss when his other hand came up to cup her cheek and he deepened the kiss. Kagome turned her head to the side and pushed her lips against his and shivered in his arms when his tongue came out to slide along her lower lip.

Kagome let out a happy sigh when Sesshomaru pulled her harder against him and their tongues intertwined and danced with each other. When Sesshomaru ended the kiss and pulled slightly away Kagome remembered that they had been arguing before.

"Hey...that's cheating," Kagome murmured and tried to sound angry, but had utterly failed.

"You seemed pretty happy about it," Sesshomaru confidently remarked, and even smirked at her.

"Shut up," Kagome playfully scolded as Sesshomaru brought her back to a standing position and let his arms drop to his sides. It seemed they had chosen a good time to end their little make out session, because InuTashio had decided then to make his way towards Sesshomaru's office. Kagome was able to sense his approach, as did Sesshomaru. His narrowed eyes gave him away.

InuTashio opened the door wide open before having a bit of difficulty shutting the door behind him, due to all his loyal fans trying their best to fight their way inside. The dog demon pushed at the door, and after a few seconds, succeeded in getting it closed. With a flick of his wrist, he locked the door and grabbed the blind hanging above it. He waved at all the sad faced staff members before pulling the blind all the way down to cover the inside of Sesshomaru's office.

"Sesshomaru, my son! So you're finally getting married! I didn't think I'd ever see the day," InuTashio yelled pridefully before grabbing Sesshomaru by the shoulders and pulled him close for a quick hug. Kagome had to cover her mouth to muffle her giggles at how uncomfortable Sesshomaru looked and, due to her heightened senses, felt.

"Kagome and I are already mates, it's only right that we follow with the human tradition," Sesshomaru replied after InuTashio decided to let him go.

"Of course! But any reason to get you settled down would be good enough for me," InuTashio grinned before going to embrace Kagome. She nervously laughed, but embraced the large dog demon with open arms. InuTashio pulled away after a second and gave her a real smile, no goofy smirk or joking grin, and Kagome couldn't help but think that he may be grateful that Sesshomaru had found someone. She returned his smile with one of her own and loved the acceptance she saw in his golden eyes that resembled Sesshomaru's so much.

"I do hope you'll make the wedding date known at the Yule Ball tonight. InuTashio Corp. hosts it every year," InuTashio stated, and made a point to look in Sesshomaru's direction expectedly. Sesshomaru rose a brow at him, but merely inclined his head towards Kagome.

"It is her decision. If she wishes to go, then so shall I," he replied and InuTashio grinned at him before turning to look at Kagome expectedly as well. Kagome looked nervously between the two before responding.

"What _is_ the Yule Ball?" she asked, but felt somewhat silly doing so.

"It's a little party I host every year around New Years for the whole staff. Izayoi loves decorating and I love hosting. They'll be dancing, and food, and all the people in the building to mingle with. It would be great if you two came," InuTashio explained, and then bent in close to Kagome, "by the way, Sesshomaru has never gone to a single one, so bringing him along would mean a lot to both Izayoi and I,"

"Don't think I can't hear you, Father," Sesshomaru remarked icily, standing ominously above the two. Kagome saw InuTashio visibly shiver before he let out a loud laugh and wound an arm around Sesshomaru's neck.

"You don't think that glare scares me, do you Sesshomaru?" InuTashio teased before letting him go and smiling again at Kagome, "I hope to see you both there," he added before braving the outside of Sesshomaru's office once again. Kagome bit her lower lip slightly before turning around to face Sesshomaru with a half smile.

"We have to go now," she bubbly stated and was surprised when Sesshomaru didn't argue. A moment later, Rin came running in and wound her arms around Kagome's waist.

"Grandpa is so popular!" she stated before looking up at Kagome, "are you and Daddy going to the Yule Ball? Because I can watch over myself now, I'm a big girl so you should go," Rin added as if trying to sell the ball to Kagome.

"Ahun will be with you while we're gone," Sesshomaru stated and Rin let out a squeal of delight before nodding.

"Of course, he'll protect me just fine," she answered before looking back at Kagome, "you'll need to get a dress though," she pointed out, and Kagome nervously laughed, realizing that she hadn't even thought about what she was going to wear.

"I'll find you one," Sesshomaru suggested and Kagome's brows rose in surprise before she smiled.

"I could find one, you don't need to go looking,"

"It's fine. I need to attend a meeting before I head home for the evening. Jaken will drive you and Rin back. I shouldn't be too long," he answered, and right as Kagome was about to thank him, his phone began to ring. He turned his back on her and walked over to his desk to hit the speaker button.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

"The meeting with Koga Wolf has been changed. He wants you to meet him at Wolf Electronics now," Sango's voice echoed in the room. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru slowly stood and she could feel how on edge he was. He seemed to think that the change of time for his meeting was annoying, and suspicious.

"Thank you, Ms. Kito," Sesshomaru answered, and hung up the phone before turning to look at the two, "I'll have to leave now, I'll see you both tonight," he added and made his way out. Kagome felt her heart begin to race when Sesshomaru passed by her.

It spend up even more when he bent down to give her a quick peck on the cheek before continuing on his way out of the office. She blinked in surprise (and delight) before reaching up to feel the spot where his lips had been moments before.

After Kagome could register the outside world again, she saw Rin grinning from ear-to-ear as she gazed back up at her. Kagome playfully narrowed her eyes at the girl before ruffling her hair and gathering her up in a tight hug.

"I just knew you'd be the one to marry Sesshomaru. I could feel it when I first met you," Rin giggled as Kagome put her back on the ground.

"You're so sweet, Rin. Want to help me work? I'm sure I'm _very_ behind now," Kagome replied, and Rin nodded as she trailed behind her when she made her way back to her office.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had decided to run home before going to Wolf Electronics. He'd let the wolf wait for him. He also thought it'd be better to have a car since Jaken would be using the limo to take Kagome and Rin back.

Using his demonic speed he was able to make the thirty mile trip in under five minutes. He approached his garage and wasted a few more minutes trying to decide what car to take. Punching in the security code to open the garage door he watched as his cars were slowly unveiled. He had ten luxury cars lined up in his large garage, a collection he had grown quite fond of. Of all the things invented by humans, cars were by far his favorite invention.

All the cars were in great condition, and worth close to half a million each. Each of the cars' keys were hanging on the side of the wall. After eying them all, he decided on a red Ferrari and got inside. With a flick of his wrist he started the engine and made a swift 180 turn before driving out of his garage at full speed.

All the cops in the city knew his license plates, and knew never to stop him no matter how fast he was going. Every time he got pulled over, he'd make sure to get the cop fired, along with everyone in his sector. After a couple of times the officers had gotten the message, and stopped pulling him over. They valued their jobs more than their ticket record. They also had nothing to worry about with him behind the wheel. Compared to Sesshomaru's demonic speed, driving his cars at full speed felt like it going out for a light jog.

He glared at an upcoming street light when he noticed that he wouldn't be able to make the yellow. He hit the brakes and the car slid to a smooth stop before beginning to purr, and he waited impatiently for the red light to turn green. Turning his gaze from the light to the left side of the street he noticed a dress shop not too far away. A dark blue dress on display caught his eye, and when the light turned green he sped over to the shop and parked on the side of the road.

People walking on the sidewalk stopped and stared at his car as he got out. It automatically locked as he made his way around to the sidewalk. By the time he made it to the door of the dress shop a crowd had formed and eyes traveled back and forth from him to the car. He did what he normally did when a mob began to form around him, he simply ignored it. They were harmless humans anyway.

A bell chimed when he opened the shop door and he looked up to see a small remake of the Shikon jewel hanging from a silver chain that was nailed to the ceiling. He was moderately surprised, he hadn't thought humans believed in the Shikon Jewel since it's disappearance over five hundred years ago.

"Hello, I'll be with you in a moment," an elderly woman's voice called from a room in the back of the small shop. Sesshomaru glared at the spot he sensed the woman was standing and couldn't believe she was making him wait. Didn't she know who he was? Sellers would be running as fast as their human feet would allow them to serve him. Why would this woman be any different?

After a minute of waiting, the woman appeared and brushed her apron with her wrinkled hands before rolling her neck around until he heard a crack and she let out a thankful sigh.

"Now, what can I do for you?" she asked before her eyes narrowed and she looked around him to the crowd that was still standing in front of her shop.

"You shouldn't have kept me waiting," Sesshomaru replied stoically, "you should be thankful I even walked in,"

"If you don't like waiting you should have just left," the woman answered bitterly, "don't think I treat snobs better than any of my other customers. I'm no suck-up," she added proudly. Though it angered him that she didn't seem to know or care who he was, he couldn't help but be slightly pleased that she'd put him in his place. He hadn't had that happen in a long time, not counting Kagome's obvious enjoyment of doing just that.

"Please excuse my impatience," he added politely before giving her a graceful bow.

"I don't fall for a pretty face either," the old woman added in warning. Sesshomaru smirked at her before standing up straight again.

"Then I'll get straight to the point. I need to find a dress for my fiancée for a ball we are attending and the blue dress in your window caught my eye," Sesshomaru replied and the woman's eyebrows shot up before she smiled at him.

"I see. It seems I pegged you all wrong, my boy. That's very sweet of you to go shopping for your fiancée. Do you have a budget you'd like to keep to?" she asked.

"Price isn't an issue," Sesshomaru simply answered, and the old woman nodded before making her way to the dress in the window. She took a look at it for a moment before turning back to him.

"What size is she?" she asked.

"Most likely a small," he replied. The woman nodded again, and made her way to the back room before reappearing in seconds with a twin to the dress in the window. She spread it out on a nearby table and allowed him to examine it.

The dress was dark blue and had straps that were supposed to hang around the arms. The top was meant to hug the upper body like a corset while from the waist down it spread out into a mass of layers and silk. Sesshomaru could practically imagine the dress hugging Kagome's curves perfectly and the dark blue color bringing out the paleness of her skin and the beauty of her raven hair. He imagined her hair falling behind her shoulders in it's wavy, dark glory and the way it would frame her perfect face.

"I see you're quite taken with this dress. I'll package it up for you Sir,"

"Thank you. What was your name again?" he asked as he watched the old woman hang the dress on a satin hanger and put a plastic cover over it.

"I never told you. It's Kaede," she answered kindly before presenting him with the dress.

"Sesshomaru Tashio,"

"Oh, no wonder you made such a commotion when you got here. You're InuTashio's boy, the one who's inheriting his company," Kaede replied.

"Yes. Here's my credit card. It doesn't matter how much you charge me for the dress, believe me, I can afford it. Put in a nice tip for yourself as well," he stated and Kaede nodded towards him before taking the piece of plastic from him and trading it for the dress.

"I hope you and your fiancée enjoy the ball," she stated as she began punching in numbers on her computer.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru had made it to Wolf Electronics just in time to spot Koga making his way to his car. It seemed the wolf had given up on him. Sesshomaru smoothly parked his Ferrari next to Koga's car and stepped out to greet him.

"Mr. Wolf," he called to the demon, and Koga turned around in mild surprise.

"Mr. Tashio," he greeted levelly.

"I came for our meeting,"

"Meeting? I never planned for a meeting with you. But if you're free we could start talking about the merger," Koga replied and Sesshomaru stared at him for a moment in slight annoyance until he realized what had just occurred.

_Kagome_, he called in his mind. There was silence for a time before he heard the sound of breaking glass and Rin's screams. His eyes widened and he gave Koga a hasty goodbye before jumping back in the car and speeding off into the street.

He swerved back and forth in traffic and ignored all the honks and angry shouts he was getting from all the other drivers. He even went as far as to ignore red lights and nearly crashed several times. But he didn't care anymore, because what he was seeing in his mind had him wishing he could just leave the car and run home.

(Divider)

Kagome had just started making something for dinner when she heard Rin's shouts of delight in the other room. Rin had wanted to play in the tool shed with Ahun and Kagome, but Kagome had wanted to start on dinner, so brought Ahun in the house instead. Kagome had decided to let the staff go home for the evening, and enjoy New Years with their families.

Jaken was trying his best to help her with dinner by gathering ingredients from the fridge. Though, he kept complaining while he did it, stating that she couldn't possibly need so many eggs or that much pepper. Kagome was still glad that he had offered at all, she felt the least connected to Jaken. Sure he could be mean and impatient, but he was also part of Sesshomaru's family and Kagome wanted him to like her too.

"Jaken, can you grab me a steak from the freezer?" Kagome asked while she mixed the eggs she had cracked inside a large yellow bowl. Jaken grumbled darkly under his breath about how he was becoming a house wife, but did as she asked.

"Now heat it up in the microwave," Kagome added.

"Hah! One such as I doesn't need such a contraption! Let me get my staff of two heads and show you!" Jaken replied proudly, and rushed out of the kitchen. Kagome raised an eyebrow after him, but didn't call him back. She assumed it was one of his demon trinkets or something.

Jaken appeared moments later with a large wooden staff (which indeed had two heads) and rested the bottom of the staff on the ground and one of the heads opened it's mouth. Kagome shrieked when it unleashed a flamethrower at the frozen steak on the counter. After a couple of seconds the mouth closed and Jaken beamed proudly at the unfrozen steak. Thankfully it wasn't cooked yet, and neither was the counter.

Kagome grabbed the steak, which was very warm, and whistled for Ahun. The two headed dragon galloped in from the other room and wagged its tail at her as she wiggled the steak at him.

"You want this Ahun?" she baby talked him, and the dragon nodded its two heads excitedly. Kagome then threw the steak up in the air. The head right above Jaken inclined its neck and neatly caught the steak in its mouth. It walked over Jaken (who squawked in surprise) and rubbed its snout against Kagome's cheek affectionately. The woman laughed and gave its scaly nose a quick kiss. She laughed harder when she saw the dark brown scales blush a deep red.

"Go back and play with Rin," she told him sweetly and the dragon ran through the kitchen and around the corner to meet up with Rin.

"Don't spoil Ahun! Soon he'll be expecting a steak all the time!" Jaken scolded and Kagome patted the little man's head.

"It's alright Jaken, I'll only do it every once in a while," Kagome promised and quite enjoyed when Jaken's cheeks turned red.

"Kagome can Ahun play in my room with me?" Rin yelled from the hallway. Kagome set down the bowl of eggs she had been mixing and made her way over to her.

"Only if you two promise not to break anything," Kagome stated sternly and they both nodded. Kagome instantly smiled at them then.

"Ok, he can play in your room Rin," Kagome allowed as she continued to smile at the two. A second later there was a loud thud at the door, and Kagome jumped before whirling around to stare at it in shock. It hadn't sounded like someone had knocked, but as if a _body _had crashed into it. It had made a hostile sound and Kagome's blood instantly ran cold. It sounded like someone was trying very hard to break in.

"Rin, stay behind Ahun," Kagome whispered the command to the little girl as she nodded before doing what she was told. Another thud sounded and Kagome jumped again, the second blow was strong enough to create a large crack through the middle of the door. Kagome took a slow step back and was about to join Rin behind Ahun, but that was when the door suddenly burst open.

Kagome let out a scream just as two large men made their way inside. One was a broad man with shoulder length brown hair, the sneer on his lips making him look demonic. He had green stripes on either side of his face and along his forehead. The other man was slightly smaller and had a long black braid for hair and a purple cross in the middle of his forehead.

Both were wearing black clothing and the smaller man held a video recorder in his right hand.

"Hello Ms. Higurashi, so nice to finally meet you," the man with the recorder greeted, "my name is Bankotsu and this is my brother Suikotsu,"

"What do you want?" Kagome asked and stood up tall to try and fake the courage she didn't have coursing through her veins.

"That should be easy to guess. We're here to kill you, and the little girl known as Rin," Bankotsu replied with chilling ease.

"I think it's that little girl behind the demon. Let me at her Bankotsu. Children love me," Suikotsu stated with sickening excitement. Kagome's mothering instinct hit her in that instant and she shot her hands out to block the two from Rin.

"Over my dead body!" she yelled and Bankotsu laughed.

"That's what we were hoping you'd say," he replied, and made his way towards the three. Ahun let out an angered growl before a white light shot from his mouth at their attacker. A large purple barrier appeared around the man, and Ahun's attack was easily deflected. The dragon let out a worried whine, but took a step forward to block Bankotsu from Kagome and Rin.

"Out of the way beast!" Suikotsu yelled as he ran at the dragon and pushed against its chest. Ahun went flying like he had been a stuffed animal. Bankotsu took the time to appear before Kagome and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You're very pretty Ms. Higurashi. No wonder there are so many men after you," Bankotsu smirked, "it's really too bad I have to kill you. Maybe I'll have a little fun with you first. I'm sure Sesshomaru would love to see that all on tape," he stated while fiddling with the recorder and let out a happy sound when the red light blinked on and Bankotsu focused it on Kagome's face.

"Don't be shy, say something to the camera," Bankotsu teased, and when Kagome stubbornly said nothing he grabbed her neck and squeezed. Kagome let out a cough and tore at his hands, but his grip only tightened.

Kagome let out a helpless cry when she saw Suikotsu make his way towards Rin. Rin screamed and made a mad dash up the stairs, Suikotsu not far behind.

"You sure you don't want to say anything beautiful?" Bankotsu asked again and set Kagome down before grabbing her roughly by the shirt.

"Go to Hell," she growled and spat at the recorder lens.

"Well that's not very nice," Bankotsu stated with a short laugh before throwing her to the ground and sat on her back while he went to clean the lens, "Naraku needs to see everything, protocol you know. I guess he doesn't trust our word. I also think that he wants to send the film to Sesshomaru as a little parting gift," he added with a smirk. He placed the recorder on a nearby chair and angled it towards them. Once he was sure they were both in the shot he pulled Kagome half off the floor.

"Now give me a kiss," he ordered with a dark laugh, and when Kagome tried to fight him he smacked her across the face, hard. Kagome stubbornly kept in her tears and glared at her attacker, not giving away an ounce of fear.

"You're a stubborn one, but I enjoy a challenge," Bankotsu smirked and pushed her against the ground before running his hand up her exposed leg. Kagome nearly screamed when she heard the sound of running footsteps and Rin's screams. Rin was left defenseless and Kagome was doing nothing!

"No one can save you now, not even Sesshomaru," Bankotsu whispered as he bent down to kiss along Kagome's neck. She let out a scream and pushed at his chest, but he was too strong. Rin continued to scream and Kagome could make out the sound of Jaken's voice along with Ahun's growls. Ahun hadn't been able to harm Bankotsu before, so she just assumed that neither could Jaken.

Kagome felt a stray tear glide down her cheek and she realized she had given up hope. Hope on Jaken, hope on Ahun, and hope on Sesshomaru. Wouldn't anyone save her in time?

(Divider)

_HUGE cliffy I know, but it's a long chapter so I hope it's still good! Happy New Year everyone! Until next time! _


	19. Kagome isn't who she thinks she is

_Ok I know it's been FOREVER, but I've been so busy with moving back on campus and getting used to my new schedule. I'm kind of gettng back into the groove of school, but not completely there yet. No worries though, because I have the next chapter! Yay! _

_Review Corner_

_Crystal Jade2: yes, and someone will :) good prediction. Hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS:haha sorry about the cliffy...but I like reviews and tend to get more with them lol. I'm selfish I know. Anyway, sorry about making Bankotsu kind of a meanie, but I envisioned him in that chapter. Man I'm just striking out in that last chapter huh? Lol hope this one is better! Thanks for the review!_

_Goddessofanime2003: Haha caught you off guard huh? Hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the review!_

_Sesshy's Mate2012: Don't write off Kagome just yet my friend :) you may be onto something! Thanks for the review as always!_

_Llebreknit: Maybe both will happen? Who knows, let's read on :) thanks for the review!_

_Demented-DragonQueen: Haha I LOVE animated reviews and yours made me smile. I love when I am able to create emotions in my readers. Hope this chapter is good too! Thanks for the review!_

_Inu-babe34: aww thanks for saying I have wicked writing skills, that makes me smile :)- see? Thanks for the review and sorry for the major cliffy. _

_Caitibug323: Did it seemed rushed? I'm sorry about that. I hope that doesn't alter your liking of my story :(, hopefully this chapter will seem much more drawn out :) thanks for the review!_

_Biteme4eturn-t: aww thanks :) glad you think so. And don't worry they'll be safe, I promise! Thanks for the review!_

_Sesshy's- firedragon: I'm glad you like and sorry about the long wait, but here's the next installment :). Thanks for the review!_

_DaOnLeeSam: glad you love my story! It makes me so happy when people tell me that. Sometimes I don't believe that I am all that good of a writer. It boosts my self-esteem :) thanks for the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: Haha still love your long reviews. And sorry about the long wait and the cliffy, but this chapter is HUGE so it should make up for it :). And don't worry Kagome gets her faith back! Thanks for your review!_

_Tmmathewitch:haha sorry about that! Glad you like my story though! And thanks for your review :)_

_DarkRavie: Powers always tend to do that don't they? Come out when they are needed the most. Sometimes I wish powers would manifest out of no where, you know? Like in the supermarket one day when you're buying cheese lol. Anyway thanks for your review! And hope you like this chapter!_

_Jennaha11: sorry about the wait :/ but this chapter is long so it should be enjoyable :) thanks for the review!_

_Crystal-Tiger82674: Always love the urgency in peoples' reviews :) but this update is happening now and it was lucky on your part since you reviewed the day before I released it! So you didn't have to wait forever like other people! Thanks for the review!_

_(Divider)_

Kagome squirmed under Bankotsu as his hand made its way up her leg. She realized then that she was the only one who could save Rin and herself now. She'd have to rely on her own strength and her need to escape from her attacker. With as much power as she could muster she slapped Bankotsu across the face. She wasn't sure if she was stronger than she thought, or Bankotsu was just surprised, but he let go of her and stumbled off and away from her.

Kagome took the few precious seconds of freedom to swiftly get up and clench her palms into fists before holding them in front of her chest. She wouldn't let these men hurt _anyone_ she cared about while she was still standing strong. As she held her fighting stance, she heard a happy growl and a relieved sigh from Ahun and Jaken a few feet away.

Bankotsu cupped his reddened cheek with his hand before he smirked at her.

"You've got a good arm," he commented before his joking smirk disappeared and was replaced by a dark scowl, "but I have to do my job. It's nothing personal," and right after he finished talking, he made another dash for her. Kagome was able to make a jump to the side out of his way, but that could only bide her a couple of seconds. Bankotsu pivoted on his heel so he was facing her again and made another jump for her.

This time Kagome wasn't fast enough, and Bankotsu was able to wrap his arms around her waist to keep her still. She was pulled roughly against his chest and a horrible chill ran up her spine when she realized that she couldn't squeeze out of his hold.

"Hmm...look at that," Bankotsu observed with a soft laugh, and grabbed the collar of her dress shirt before pulling it to the side, exposing the top of her cleavage to him, "it seems Sesshomaru has already marked you. I guess this tape will really deliver a beating to Sesshomaru's pride. Not being able to protect one's mate is a serious offense in the demon world,"

"It won't matter, because you won't kill me. I can't die now," Kagome ground out as she slowly rolled her shoulders to make a little room to move her arms around in Bankotsu's iron grip.

"Sorry sweetheart, but it looks like this is going to go my way," Bankotsu replied rather smugly in return. While he had been talking, Kagome had just made enough room to bend her elbows and slowly ran her hands up Bankotsu's stomach until it reached his chest.

He let out a light groan as she did it, and Kagome had to hold in the need to gag. The realization that it was all up to her reappeared in her mind and her pride wouldn't allow her to be the victim. Once she had reached the middle of his chest she pushed against him as hard as she could. Bankotsu let out a surprised grunt before he was instantly thrown across the room.

Kagome stared at his flung form before she looked back at her hands, they were glowing! A pink light had formed around them, and as she continued to look at them, noticed that the light was beginning to fade. Was this one of the powers that she could have inherited from Sesshomaru? Or an original power that was created due to Sesshomaru's blood? Just then Kagome remembered that she had no time to stand around, Rin was still possibly getting attacked by Suikotsu.

She then made a mad dash up the stairs (ignoring Bankotsu, who was still lying on the floor) and listened for footsteps or screams. A second later, Rin screamed from her room and Kagome followed the sound in a dead run down the hall towards the little girl's room.

She flung open the girl's door to see Rin huddled in the corner of her room with Suikotsu slowly approaching her. He had a knife in one hand and a gun in a hoister attached to his hip. Kagome's eyes widened when he turned in her direction and his hand went straight for that same hoister. Kagome narrowed her eyes in determination before she ran at him and grabbed for the hand that was holding the knife.

Suikotsu was so much bigger than her that she was temporarily frozen when he gave up on his gun and grabbed her arm. He lifted her above the ground a couple of inches so she hung awkwardly in his grasp. Her arm started to throb as he held her there, and she realized that if she didn't do something he could easily dislocate her shoulder.

She swung her arm forward and slapped her hand against his cheek as hard as she could. The loud smack echoed in the room before he was sent (much like Bankotsu) flying across the room, and was forced to let Kagome go. She fell roughly to the ground and rubbed her arm Suikotsu had been holding her by, which was still slightly stinging.

Kagome then turned towards the direction that Suikotsu had been flung, and saw that he was lying against the opposite wall, seemingly (at the moment) unconscious. Kagome turned to look at her hands and saw they were glowing again. She seemed to be getting the hang of her new "power."

After that thought, Kagome turned towards Rin who was still huddled in the corner, seemingly unaware that Kagome was even in the room. She outstretched her arm towards her, but just as she was about to get up she heard a low growl and the sound of falling debris.

She whirled around and saw Suikotsu dislodge himself from Rin's wall, and stood as if he hadn't even been struck at all. His face was pulled back in a dark snarl and he quickly reached for his gun. Before Kagome could even blink, he had the end of the barrel pointed straight at her.

"I don't know what you are, but it won't matter when you're dead," he threatened. Kagome quickly fell to the ground and covered her head just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet missed Kagome completely, but she felt the air wave it created ruffle the back of her shirt. Rin screamed at the loud sound and Kagome saw the little girl cover her ears and close her eyes tightly in fear.

Kagome glared at Suikotsu then, and her bravery returned as she crawled towards him. Rin's scream had temporarily distracted him, and he was making his way towards her again. Kagome was able to make it within reaching distance of him and saw that her hands were glowing once again. She grabbed his ankle and saw his skin begin to glow.

Suikotsu let out a mad scream before he looked down at Kagome with wide eyes before kicking his leg to try and fling her off. But Kagome would have none of that. Though she was hurting all over, Kagome wouldn't let it distract her from protecting Rin. As Kagome continued to hold on she saw the man's skin begin to slowly burn away as he let out another exasperated scream, trying his hardest to get her off of him.

"I don't want to waste another bullet on you," he cried out as he grabbed for his discarded knife and stuck it in one of her arms. Kagome let out a light squeak of pain, but only tightened her hold on Suikotsu's ankle.

After the skin around his ankle peeled away to expose muscle, Suikotsu aimed the gun at Kagome's face and placed his finger on the trigger. Kagome stared up at him wide eyed, but wouldn't let up. If protecting Rin cost Kagome her life...well...she was ready to give it up.

"I don't think so," a voice growled darkly and Kagome turned her head around in surprise. In a flash someone appeared before Suikotsu and grabbed for the gun. The person was able to disarm him in a matter of seconds. With another fast motion Suikotsu was sent reeling as the the stranger landed gently on the ground. Kagome had let go of Suikotsu's ankle when he had been thrown and she rolled away from the two. Suikotsu seemed just as surprised as Kagome was to see Inuyasha standing in front of her.

Suikotsu's surprise instantly disappeared once he got a good look at Inuyasha, and he ran towards him before grabbing his neck, and held a smirking Inuyasha above the ground. And when Suikotsu tightened his hold the confident smirk never left Inuyasha's lips.

"Kagome, get up," Inuyasha ordered and adverted his golden eyes to look down at her. Kagome stared at him in surprise before slowly standing up.

"Now, go to Rin," he added and inclined his head towards the still cowering Rin. Kagome nodded before hurrying over to the little girl. She quickly pulled Rin into her arms and held her to her chest, but didn't miss the way she flinched when she touched her. She didn't bother inspecting Rin, just held her close and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair reassuringly. After a couple of seconds Rin seemed to calm down and relax in Kagome's embrace.

"You seem rather calm for a man who's about to die," Suikotsu commented as his grip tightened even further around Inuyasha's neck. Kagome continued to hold Rin as she watched the two. _What was Inuyasha thinking? _

"I would say the same thing to you," Inuyasha replied smartly before he cracked his knuckles and made a swift slash at Suikotsu. He let out a hiss and let Inuyasha go, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to run to Kagome's side.

"Is Rin alright?" he asked and Kagome looked down at Rin who was relaxed, but very quiet.

"I-I don't know," Kagome choked out and felt tears begin to form in her eyes. Rin was so sweet and meant so much to her already, and she hated that she couldn't have protected her from such a traumatic experience.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he turned his head back towards Suikotsu. The man had turned to face them as well, and Kagome saw a large claw mark stretched along his face. _Had Inuyasha been able to do that?_

"You'll pay for what you did to my face," Suikotsu threatened as he ran towards them again. Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome and spread his arms out wide.

"Over my dead body," he replied and Kagome felt Rin move against her and looked down to see Rin staring up at Inuyasha. Her cinnamon colored eyes were wide, and she looked completely in shock at what Inuyasha had just said.

"Keep Rin close to you," Inuyasha whispered and spared a glance in Kagome's direction. Kagome nodded and tightened her arms around Rin. Suikotsu ran at Inuyasha with his knife and Inuyasha was able to grab his wrist and break it with ease. Suikotsu let out a painful groan when the bone cracked and Inuyasha quickly elbowed him to the ground.

"I won't be that easy to kill," Suikotsu growled and punched Inuyasha in the face which sent him reeling back. Inuyasha held his hand to his nose for a moment before he let his hand fall and Kagome's eyes widened when she saw blood trailing down the side of his lip. He closed his eyes for a moment before they swiftly opened, revealing blood red eyes and suddenly two little dog ears appeared on the top of his silver haired head. Two light purple marks appeared on either cheek, and when he smiled, Kagome saw fangs.

"You'll pay for that," a dark voice promised Suikotsu. Kagome couldn't believe what Inuyasha had transformed into. For all the years she had known him in high school, he had never showed her this side of him before. She hadn't even known that he was a demon.

With lightening speed Inuyasha made it to Suikotsu's side and punched him in the gut before grabbing his head. He was about to break his neck when Rin stopped him with a frightened scream.

"Don't kill him!" she yelled, "you'll be just like him if you do!"

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha temporarily pause at that and he slowly let go of Suikotsu. Though he didn't kill him, Inuyasha didn't pass up the chance to shove him to the ground and hold him there.

"I'll wait all day," he promised and waited, looking at Rin for permission with those demonic eyes. Kagome was surprised that it was still Inuyasha under there, this form looked so demonic and frightening. Kagome jumped and Inuyasha's swerved around when they heard the sound of an angry roar. Kagome felt her whole body shiver when she realized just _who_ had emitted the sound. _Sesshomaru's here...finally_ she thought in relief and relaxed her hold on Rin.

The little girl turned her head to look up at Kagome and she was able to see the full extent of Rin's injuries. There was a long cut that traveled from the edge of her eye to the bottom of her jaw and a large cut on her shoulder. Kagome pulled slightly away to look at the rest of her and spotted a large gash in her right arm that Kagome suspected was from Suikotsu's knife.

Other than that she couldn't see any other injuries, and thankfully she didn't see any blood or knife marks in between Rin's legs. _At least he hadn't raped her _Kagome thought, though it didn't excuse him from everything else he had done to her.

The sound of glass breaking and painful screams surprised the group and Kagome saw Suikotsu start to fight harder against Inuyasha's hold.

"Bankotsu!" he cried out and Inuyasha grabbed hold of Suikotsu's throat. The man immediately stopped his struggles and held perfectly still.

"Don't move. I've got my claws right above your jugular vein. If I tighten my hold, or you move, I'm going to tear it and you'll die in a matter of minutes," Inuyasha threatened darkly and Bankotsu went limp and just laid there, seeming no longer interested in helping his brother if it would endanger his own life.

Moments later the screaming stopped and all was silent once again. After a couple more seconds there were sounds of footsteps making their way towards Rin's room and once Sesshomaru got to the top of the stairs he spotted the group. A sneer spread across his lips and he was on Inuyasha in a second.

"What have you done, Inuyasha?" he angrily asked as Inuyasha let go of Suikotsu's neck to stand up straight and face his brother. But he was mindful to keep his foot on Suikotsu's back so he couldn't try and escape while they talked.

"Nothing. Kagome was being attacked by this guy when I got here," Inuyasha inclined his head towards Suikotsu as he spoke and Sesshomaru looked down at the large man before swiftly bringing him to his feet. He held Suikotsu at his eye level as his eyes started to glow a dark red and his tall frame made Suikotsu suddenly seem very small in comparison.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome called to him, in hopes to calm down his possessive emotion over her. Sesshomaru adverted his eyes towards her and she realized then that it was a mistake when he took in her arm wound and Rin's large cuts.

He growled low in his throat and swiftly pierced the skin of Suikotsu's neck with his claws. Suikotsu let out an anguished cry before foam began to form in his mouth and spewed out of his lips. Sesshomaru let him fall to the ground in a heap of twitching limbs and sputtered screams.

Rin let out a gasp before she grabbed hold of Kagome's sleeve and buried her face in Kagome's shirt. Kagome turned towards her and held her close, realizing that Rin would be completely traumatized from all of this violence in one sitting.

Once Suikotsu stopped moving and laid limp on the floor the two brother's appearances returned to normal. Though Inuyasha's dog ears remained in place atop his head.

"What did you do to the other guy?" Inuyasha asked nonchalantly as Sesshomaru turned his cool eyes in his direction.

"I disposed of him," he replied and turned towards Kagome and Rin. Inuyasha's lips curved downward in a sneer when Sesshomaru traveled over to the two in a matter of seconds and bent down to place a gentle hand on Kagome's shoulder and the other on Rin's head.

"Are you two alright?" he asked. His voice slightly rose to reveal one emotion, worry.

"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about Rin. We got separated, and I don't know what Suikotsu did to her," Kagome whispered and felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks, "I'm sorry Sesshomaru, I should have been there for her. And I'm sorry Rin that I wasn't there to protect you," she added and pressed a light kiss on Rin's head when she finished.

"It ain't your fault," Inuyasha murmured and blushed when Kagome looked up at him in surprise.

"He's right," Sesshomaru added, though seemed oddly bothered by that fact. Kagome sent Sesshomaru a thankful smile before she let go of Rin and allowed Sesshomaru to embrace her.

"Daddy!" she screamed and grabbed onto his clothes before burying her face in his chest. Sesshomaru wrapped one arm around her tiny waist and pressed his forehead on the top of her head. Rin continued to shake in his hold, but Kagome could tell that she needed this from Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was her protector and provider, he was the one who would allow nothing to happen to her, and punish those who would dare to harm her. Kagome could see why Rin would crave his presence and fatherly affection after such an event as this.

After a couple of seconds Rin pulled away and turned to stare in Inuyasha's direction. He had turned away, but his ear twitched and he seemed to sense their eyes on him.

"What are you looking at?" he asked angrily and gaped when Rin stood up and walked over to him. He looked down at her in shock for a moment until her eyes watered and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Inuyasha let out a gasp of surprise before trying awkwardly to keep his balance.

"Thank you...Uncle Inuyasha," she murmured and Inuyasha tensed at the title before his eyes softened.

"It was nothing...you little brat," he mumbled endearingly. Rin looked up at him before stepping away and holding her hands together in front of her. Inuyasha let out a sigh before he knelt down to her eye level.

"Come here," he sighed again and when Rin approached him he took both her hands and set them on top of his head so her fingers brushed his dog ears. Rin blinked in surprise before looking at Inuyasha again, seeming confused on what he wanted her to do.

"Go ahead and rub them. It always pulled my mom out of sad spells," Inuyasha admitted after a time, and Rin looked idly at his ears for a moment before she grabbed onto them and gently rubbed her thumb across the insides. After the first rub Rin did it again, and again. After a couple of rubs a little smile spread across her face. Kagome smiled at him when she realized that he was trying to cheer Rin up, in his own way.

"OK, that's enough," Inuyasha stated, but Rin wouldn't stop rubbing. Inuyasha glared at her before he tried pulling free of her grasp, but she just tugged on his ears and pouted. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her before he huffed and let her continue. Once Rin seemed to get her fill, she pulled her hands away and smiled at Inuyasha.

"You done?" Inuyasha asked, as if not believing it could be true. Rin nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck in a quick hug. Kagome watched as another look of surprise crossed over Inuyasha's face before it relaxed and a soft look appeared in his eyes.

"Thank you," Rin murmured before backing up and hurrying over to Sesshomaru's side. Inuyasha watched her go before standing up and staring at Sesshomaru.

"Get out," Sesshomaru ordered then, and Kagome stared at him in disbelief. She would've assumed Sesshomaru might have been taken by what Inuyasha had done for Rin, but it seemed his hatred towards his brother was too powerful to be phased.

"Don't you think that's a little hasty? He did just save our lives," Kagome fought back.

"I said get out," he repeated, ignoring Kagome's response. Inuyasha scoffed at him before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where were _you_ when these two were getting attacked? I think you need me here, to protect them," Inuyasha proposed and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"How did you know to come here at the precise moment they were getting attacked?" Sesshomaru asked back cynically. Kagome's eyes widened as the thought processed in her head, how _had_ Inuyasha known to come? Kagome could see why Sesshomaru could think that Inuyasha's sudden appearance was suspicious, and that the whole event could have been staged. Maybe to make Inuyasha look like the more reliable one, more trustworthy than even Sesshomaru in her eyes.

"Mom warned me," Inuyasha replied without hesitation.

"She would warn you over me? Kagome's mate and Rin's father?" Sesshomaru asked, also without any hesitation.

"Kagome's mate?" Inuyasha cried out, "that's not possible. Kagome loves _me_!" he added in outrage.

"She is my mate," Sesshomaru replied levelly as a dangerous growl escaped his lips.

"Inuyasha...it's true," Kagome butted in, noting the obvious tension that was starting to suffocate the room. Inuyasha stared at her in shock before he stood up straighter and a look of determination crossed his features.

"I'll fight you for her," he challenged suddenly.

"You dare challenge me?" Sesshomaru hissed back.

"No! Both of you, stop this!" Kagome demanded, "we don't need more violence after everything that's happened. Think of Rin," Kagome begged. Both mens' eyes traveled down to Rin who was still standing next to Sesshomaru. She stared back at them, but no look of fear or anxiety crossed her face.

"Inuyasha, please leave," Kagome advised, "it looks like there'll only be violence if you stay,"

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment before he nodded and looked back at Sesshomaru with a scowl.

"I'm not ready to give up on Kagome. She's mine," he warned before whirling on his heel and heading for the door. Once he was gone Kagome felt like a large weight had been lifted from the room, and let out a sigh of relief.

Right after she did though, she remembered that a dead body was still there in the room. She flinched as her head slowly turned downward to look at what remained of Suikotsu. His body lay motionless on the floor, and the look of anguish still remained plastered on his face.

"What are we going to do with the body?" Kagome asked, though let out a light scream when Sesshomaru bent down to grab his shirt collar.

"I'll dispose of it," Sesshomaru replied and began to drag the body like it was a bag of laundry. After he was gone (and she got over her shock at Sesshomaru's behavior) Kagome hurriedly bent down next to Rin.

"Are you alright, Rin darling?" she asked and gently cupped the little girl's cheeks while turning her head so they faced each other.

"Yes, just a few scratches," she replied gently, and Kagome's eyes softened.

"I'm glad you're so strong Rin. I don't know what I would've done if you would have shut me out. You mean so much to me," Kagome whispered endearingly before she wrapped Rin in her arms as tears fell down her cheeks. Rin pulled away slightly and placed her little finger under Kagome's chin to angle her face so she could look at her before a grin spread across her face.

"You're such a baby," Rin teased and Kagome let out a teary laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I am," she agreed and the two girls laughed together.

(Divider)

Once Inuyasha left (Sesshomaru had to check and make sure he _actually_ left) and Suikotsu's body was disposed of somehow, Sesshomaru had ordered Jaken to fetch Ahun.

"Why do you we have to go to InuTashio's house?" Kagome asked, and spotted Jaken tugging on the reigns of a still anxious Ahun. The dragon had been jumpy and anxious since the attack, and Kagome wasn't really sure why. Everyone was fine, and Sesshomaru had taken care of the attackers, yet the dragon did not want to calm down.

"If either of you were poisoned during the attack, your human hospitals won't know how to treat the demon poison. Either they're be too stumped to do anything, or they're take too long to find an antidote. Father's physicians have been trained in treating both human and demon wounds, so they'll be able to work much faster, and more efficiently," Sesshomaru explained. Kagome looked straight ahead as she wondered how InuTashio and Izayoi would feel about them dropping by so suddenly.

"InuTashio and Izayoi adore Rin, and they are always begging me to pay a visit. They won't mind at all," Sesshomaru soothed in his nonchalant voice. Jaken then reappeared and gave Sesshomaru a low bow before speaking.

"Ahun is ready, my lord," he informed them, and Sesshomaru walked towards the exit with Kagome and Rin hurrying behind. Once they reached the backyard, Ahun started to fidget and grunt as he fought against his reigns. Jaken had tied him to a nearby tree, which was probably the only thing keeping him there.

Sesshomaru paused halfway to the dragon's side and sent him a disapproving glare, which instantly calmed Ahun. He stood perfectly still and shook his two heads before staring obediently back at Sesshomaru.

Kagome looked between the two demons and wondered what had transpired between the two. Could just a look really calm down such a large, dangerous creature? Kagome was starting to wonder how scary and dangerous Sesshomaru must be to get that kind of respect from Ahun.

Sesshomaru turned around and gave her a toothy grin, which looked more scary than friendly. Kagome shrunk away from him and a look of horror appeared on her face. After a moment she realized what he was doing and stood up straight to glare at him.

"Hey! That's not _funny_!" she exclaimed with a scowl as Sesshomaru's smile disappeared and his usual stoic expression returned. Kagome didn't let up on him though, as they all climbed onto Ahun's saddle she made sure to send him her darkest glare. He didn't seemed phased at all by it, and what made matters worse was when he wound a protective arm around her waist as he sat behind her. Kagome's back was immediately pressed up against Sesshomaru's chest.

She did her best to keep her anger streak going, even _if_ she could practically feel every one of Sesshomaru's hard toned muscles cradle her much more petite form as he held her. Kagome felt her cheeks begin to heat up at the situation they had found themselves in, but knew that she wouldn't fare long.

Luckily, that was the moment when Rin decided to wiggle her way into Kagome's lap. Once she got comfortable, she immediately snuggled herself against Kagome's form and shut her eyes for a quick rest. The small act of affection brought a soft light to Kagome's dark brown eyes as she gently brushed a strand of hair out of the little girl's face.

As all this was going on, Jaken had been hastily untying Ahun from the tree. He let out a proud breath as he handed the reigns over to Sesshomaru's open palm. But just as the little demon was about to climb on the dragon, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in disapproval. Jaken visibly gulped before slowly sliding down the dragon's side to plant his feet securely on the ground.

"Am I not allowed to come with?" Jaken asked fearfully.

"No. You are to remain here to look after the house," Sesshomaru ordered and Jaken's mouth fell open in surprise.

"B-But my lord-!" Jaken begged in a sputter.

"My decision is final," Sesshomaru answered and Jaken started shaking a little in fear before his eyes grew wide and teary.

"Why must _I_ stay behind? Surely I can be of help to you, my lord!" Jaken tried to, yet again, persuade Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru outstretched his arm, and with one long finger, pointed towards the house.

"Go," he ordered again, and Jaken sniffled before nodding and hurrying back into the house. Kagome felt slightly sorry for the little demon, he had only wanted to help. But she guessed that it _was_ better to have someone there to watch over the house while they were away.

"Ahun, it's time," Sesshomaru stated then, and the dragon grunted in reply before starting to walk and then run towards the back of the house. Kagome's shoulders tightened and one of her hands quickly grasped for Sesshomaru's hand that was still wound around her waist. She braced for impact, but just as they were going to hit the wall, the purple vortex appeared on it and they went right through it.

Kagome let out a breath of relief before realizing she was still holding onto Sesshomaru's hand. She quickly retracted it and tried desperately not to think about it, in case Sesshomaru was smirking smugly about it. Just as quickly as she had decided not to think about it she sensed the smugness that was resonating in Sesshomaru's mind. She sideways glared at him before closing her eyes and lifting her nose in the air with a huff.

"You think you're so great, don't you?" she asked him angrily.

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied truthfully as Kagome let out another huff, but felt Sesshomaru's hold on her waist tighten slightly. She couldn't hide the fact that she liked the feeling of him holding her. Kagome instantly caught herself thinking about him again, and quickly tried to think of something else. Something like..ponies and rainbows.

"What the hell...?" Sesshomaru whispered, sounding completely shocked and disturbed. Kagome turned sideways to give him a smirk, knowing exactly what kind of images and pictures were being seen in the man's mind. Unable to resist the cute, disturbed look on Sesshomaru's face, she grabbed a hold of his nose before shaking his head slightly back and forth.

That's what you get for reading my thoughts," Kagome teased as Sesshomaru merely eyes narrowed at her.

"You better watch yourself, woman," he warned and Kagome gave his nose a quick squeeze before leaning up to lightly kiss it.

"Or what?" she coaxed with a seductive smile. Sesshomaru looked down at her for a moment before opening his mouth to respond, but they were temporarily distracted when a stray wind breezed through their hair. Kagome turned back around then to see that they had arrived at InuTashio's large estate.

As if expecting their arrival, Izayoi and InuTashio stood at the entrance.

"Hello everyone," InuTashio greeted gruffly, and by his rather serious sounding voice, Kagome could assume that they already knew about the attack both Rin and Kagome had gone through.

"Are you both able to walk?" Izayoi asked hastily, and Kagome nodded as she jumped off Ahun's saddle to land squarely on the ground. Rin was in her arms (still fast asleep), as InuTashio carefully took the little girl into his arms. He cradled her small body with his much larger body frame; and their size difference was so distinctive that Rin looked like a newborn baby in InuTashio's large embrace.

"InuTashio will take her to our best physician. Kagome come with me, and I'll treat you myself," Izayoi reassured them as she gracefully climbed the staircase with Kagome hurrying behind her. Sesshomaru had walked beside her, and continued to, as they entered the home and were directed to the room across from the entrance.

As Izayoi opened the door for them, Kagome was amazed to find all sorts of old fashioned trinkets and scrolls scattered across the room. It looked like a study of some sort and fondly reminded her of an old university library.

Everything was made out of mahogany wood, and bamboo plants were set on every table and stand in the room. Much like the room Kagome had been in with Izayoi before; this room looked like it could comfortably hold a good twenty or thirty people.

"This is InuTashio's study, but it also serves as my study when I need it. I come in here a lot to study medicines and healing ointments that can be made with plants," Izayoi stated as she closed the door behind them. Her long silk kimono swayed back and forth as she walked around the two to sit in the nearest large cushioned chair.

"Please, sit you two," she offered politely, and signaled to the two identical chairs that were closest to hers. Kagome sat on the one closest to Izayoi while Sesshomaru sat in the other. Sesshomaru remained silent as Izayoi pulled Kagome closer to inspect her arm wound.

"It looks like a minor cut, and I don't see any infection forming so you mustn't have gotten any poison in your system. I'm surprised. From my vision, I had seen things going much worse," Izayoi inspected as she released her hold on Kagome's arm.

"Your vision?" Kagome asked in surpise as Izayoi nodded before pulling back slightly.

"I saw your attacker killing you, and Rin. I remember feeling the fear and helplessness that you were feeling. I also remember there being poison that he spread through your arm wound and then...well I don't want to speak of what else might have happened," Izayoi replied, and Kagome saw her shiver slightly.

Kagome could sense Sesshomaru stiffen beside her, and could read all the mixed feelings that were swirling in his head. Anger, agitation, slight fear, and an even slighter curiosity at what Izayoi had envisioned.

"How were you able to "see" this happening?" Kagome asked.

"As you know, when mating with a demon, some of their powers can transfer over to their partner or they can develop powers of their own. I developed the power to see into the future. I am able to envision what will happen to someone of my choosing," Izayoi explained, "though I am surprised, happily of course, that my vision was wrong about you and Rin,"

"What do you think might have changed it?" Sesshomaru asked, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. Izayoi smiled slightly at him, but lightly shook her head.

"I do not know," she answered truthfully, "did anything happen during your attack that stuck out, Kagome?" she added and turned back to look at Kagome.

"Well, I do remember this pink light forming around my hands after I pushed my attacker off me. He flew across the room, and I thought it might have been some power I inherited from Sesshomaru," Kagome replied, and Izayoi's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"Well, that's _very_ interesting. Though, it couldn't have been from Sesshomaru, since a pink light usually indicates a priestess aura. Priestess's powers stem from a pure heart, and are spiritual beings, unlike demons. The only thing I could think of would be that you have always had these powers, they've just laid dormant inside you," Izayoi proposed as she placed one delicate finger on her chin in thought.

"So...I'm a priestess?" Kagome asked, forming the connection that Izayoi had made with the odd pink light that had protected her against Bankotsu and Suikotsu.

"Yes," Izayoi smiled, and then laughed slightly, "it's kind of ironic that a demon would make a priestess his mate. They were constantly at war with one another in the past,"

"Well he obviously had no idea that I was one. _I_ didn't even know I was a priestess," Kagome replied.

"It doesn't change anything," Sesshomaru responded, and Kagome couldn't help but smile up at him, finding his words incredibly sweet. Izayoi smiled at them before nodding.

"I'm glad to hear that," she answered warmly. Before either guest could reply, the door behind Kagome and Sesshomaru opened and InuTashio walked in. He had a still sleeping Rin in the crook of his arm while he gently closed the door with his free hand.

"Rin is fine, my physicians said she only needs rest," he informed them, and went to grab a chair from across the room. He placed it next to his mate, and sat down to look back at Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"I take it you're healthy as well?" he asked staring straight at Kagome. She nodded and Izayoi rested her hand on his arm as they stared into each other eyes for a moment. InuTashio nodded once and turned to look back at Kagome again.

"A priestess, eh? Fun," he smiled, and Kagome couldn't help but blush. She still wasn't completely sure what a priestess did or what she was capable of. Izayoi and InuTashio made it seem like whatever she was...it was very powerful. She felt anything _but_ powerful at the moment.

Izayoi then switched her gaze from them to Rin. She pushed a strand of hair out of the little girl's closed eyes, and rested her hand on her cheek. Her hand then started to glow a bright yellow before it suddenly vanished and Izayoi pulled her hand away. Curious what she had done, Kagome inched up in her chair to look at Rin, and noted that the long cut on her face had disappeared.

"I've healed all of her wounds. Even the emotional scars are now gone," Izayoi stated, noting Kagome's curiosity, "another power I developed," she added when she seemed to note the look of confusion that passed over Kagome's face.

"Give me your arm and I will also heal you," Izayoi coaxed and Kagome showed her arm to her. Izayoi took it gently in her hands before resting her palm on top of the cut. Her hands started to glow that yellowish color, and the wound quickly began closing until even the outline disappeared. Kagome also felt the fears and shakiness of the attack begin to disappear in her mind. Suddenly her mind was clear and she was able to finally relax.

Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she sat back in her chair, just resonating in this new found feeling of peace.

"Thank you," she breathed ,and Izayoi smiled at her before gently patting her arm and letting go of it. InuTashio intertwined his free hand with Izayoi's as they shared a smile for a brief moment before InuTashio turned towards Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"Do you think you'd want to learn how to control your powers?" InuTashio asked then. Kagome's eyes widened slightly at that, and she sat up straight to stare at him intently. _Learn how to...control them? _

"It could be very useful in the future," Izayoi added, and Kagome instantly decoded the woman's message and nodded. If Izayoi would tell her that a skill would be useful in the future, than she more than likely saw Kagome using her priestess powers in a vision. Kagome knew then that she'd have to learn, or she'd deeply regret it later.

"Yes," Kagome nodded to the couple, and an approving twinkle sparked in InuTashio's eyes while Izayoi lips spread into a lovely smile.

"Come with me," InuTashio then told her after standing. Kagome stood quickly and turned slightly towards Sesshomaru, and saw that he was already standing as well. Izayoi got up gracefully, and took hold of InuTashio's offered arm. The couple then turned around completely and made their way to the other side of the room, towards a door. Kagome and Sesshomaru followed.

(Divider)

InuTashio had lead the group to an open area in the middle of his estate: an open patch of grassland between two of the large houses. Kagome saw a bow and arrow resting against a tree stump, and a target a few yards away. She was amazed that they'd have everything set up for her. It made her wonder for just how long had Izayoi known that Kagome was a priestess?

"Kikyo comes to practice here," Izayoi informed them, and Kagome immediately froze. _Her cousin...already met InuTashio and Izayoi? Not to mention, she must have then been told about demons._ A sharp pain hit her heart when she thought about Inuyasha picking Kikyo to tell over her. _Was her cousin easier to trust than her? Or did Inuyasha...love Kikyo? _

"Do you know Kikyo?" InuTashio asked, seeming to note the familiarity that showed on her face. Kagome tried desperately to blink away the tears that were forming in her eyes and nodded slightly before answering.

"She's my cousin,"

"Cousin, you say? How interesting. You two _do_ look very much alike," Inutashio replied, seeming not to note Kagome's shaky voice and watery eyes. Izayoi remained quiet though, and only stared at Kagome with a slight worried brow.

"Let's move on," Sesshomaru cut in, and InuTashio nodded before hurrying to open the door to the yard. Izayoi walked down the wooden steps to the grassy area and waited patiently for the rest of the group. Sesshomaru took a step forward, but paused when Kagome didn't move. She was still in a slight state of shock that her cousin would know about demons first, and was also a priestess.

"Come, little miko," Sesshomaru murmured, which broke Kagome out of her trance.

"What did you call me?" she asked back softly.

\

"Little miko. Miko is another term for priestess," Sesshomaru explained stoically. Kagome stared at him for a moment before she smiled at him. To think, Sesshomaru was trying to wash away the pain by changing the subject. The pain of knowing Inuyasha chose Kikyo. By endearingly calling her miko, she was no longer pained by the title 'priestess,' which was the title her cousin had.

She took a few steps forward and when she was next to Sesshomaru stood on her toes to kiss him quickly on the cheek. His face remained impassive, but Kagome didn't mind. His words spoke volumes, and she knew that she was held dear to him.

Without any more hesitation, Kagome hurried to join Izayoi outside, Sesshomaru following close behind along with a grinning InuTashio. Izayoi looked between Sesshomaru and Kagome, and her eyes landed on Kagome before she smiled. Kagome shared her smile and was slightly surprised when InuTashio appeared before her with the bow and arrows.

"Take these, you can practice arching them and aiming at the target," InuTashio stated and Kagome nodded confidently before taking hold of the presented items. Kagome slung the carrier over her shoulder and pulled out one arrow that she proceeded to arch.

In high school she had learned the basics of archery, but she hadn't been that great of a shot. Though, InuTashio and Izayoi seemed impressed that she had arched and aimed without any help.

"Just hit the target?" Kagome asked as she closed one eye to better aim the arrow head.

"Yes," InuTashio replied. Once Kagome felt like her aim was spot on, she released the arrow, but watched as it only traveled a couple of feet before gliding pathetically to the ground. Kagome stared at it in horror before she hung her head in defeat. InuTashio let out a loud laugh before speaking.

"Don't worry, by the end of today you'll be able to shoot that target without a problem," InuTashio promised before jogging over to retrieve the arrow. Once he returned to her side, he handed her the arrow and she quickly arched and aimed before releasing. Only, it got her the same result as before, and she again hung her head in defeat.

"Try summoning the power you had when you fought your attackers," Izayoi advised, and Kagome quickly shut her eyes to try and relive the moment. She remembered fear and hopelessness, but then strength had quickly replaced them. Strength when she realized she was the only one who could save Rin. That alone had been what released her powers.

Kagome nodded to herself and opened her eyes before aiming at the target. She envisioned Bankotsu above her and the sounds of Rin's screams. Instantly she felt her hands getting hot and when she looked at them, noted that they were glowing pink again. Trying to control her powers at will, she kept picturing the pink aura surrounding her arrow. After a couple of seconds, it did as she commanded.

She took a deep breath, and released. The arrow shot across the yard and hit the middle of the target in a matter of seconds. Kagome continued to stand with her bow in one hand and her other hand still up as if she were going to release again.

"Wow, good work," InuTashio commented with a slight raise of his brows, "it seems you already know how to summon your powers, which is half the battle. The next is going to be fighting with them," he added and Kagome nodded, but stopped immediately when her world started to spin. She blinked a couple of times to try and focus her vision, but it didn't stop the spinning. A moment later she felt her knees getting weaker and her eyes roll to the back of her head before her world went black.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru traveled to Kagome's side just in time to catch her before her body hit the ground. She laid in his arms like a dead weight and her mind went blank. He could still hear her breathing, and knew she had just fainted. Her mind had been whirling since they had left the house. Such stress from the attack, and the summoning of her powers, seemed too much for her human body to handle.

"Is she alright?" Izayoi asked, rushing to his side to feel Kagome's head and face.

"She's fine, just unconscious," Sesshomaru replied levelly. Izayoi let out a sigh of relief and retracted her hands.

"She has never used her powers except for during the attack. Using them twice in such a short period took a lot out of her," InuTashio replied logically, walking much more reserved than his mate had, to Sesshomaru's side.

"With more practice she'll be able to use them for longer periods of time," InuTashio added and gently rested a claw on Kagome's forehead before letting his hand fall to his side.

"She doesn't seem to be as powerful as Kikyo, but she could definitely do some damage. I'd be careful with her, Sesshomaru. If she fell into the wrong hands, or were spiteful in any way to demons, she could be dangerous to our way of life," InuTashio commented coldly, acting much colder than he had since their arrival.

"What are you implying?" Sesshomaru asked.

"If she tries to kill a demon with her priestess powers, we'll have to kill her as punishment," InuTashio replied gravely.

"No! There has to be another way," Izayoi pleaded and grabbed hold of InuTashio's arm, but he ignored her and kept his focus on Sesshomaru.

"I understand," Sesshomaru answered and a look of horror crossed over Izayoi's face.

"What if it's in defense? You know how out of control demons can get sometimes..." Izayoi murmured, but Inutashio only shook his head.

"That's the rule, the one rule that _all_ demons abide by, no matter what the cause. We can control the situation whenever demons get out of control, a priestess doesn't need to be involved. A priestess killing a demon is declaring war on all demons," InuTashio explained, "Kikyo has already agreed to these terms, and I'm sure Kagome will too,"

"I guess I'll have to," Kagome murmured as she opened her eyes to look up at InuTashio. Sesshomaru had her balanced against his chest and she continued to lay against him as she spoke.

"If that's what it takes to live with knowing demons are real, and with knowing all of you, then I'll do it," she added, though seemed slightly saddened. Sesshomaru could sense that she had been hoping to be more useful to them by honing her priestess powers. His golden orbs looked down at her for a moment before returning to his father's face.

"You can still use these powers to fight," InuTashio clarified, "a priestess can also purify demonic aura, which can be useful for picking up items that most humans can't get close to,"

"I understand," Kagome replied and looked to the ground, still seeming disheartened over the news. InuTashio's eyes softened slightly towards her, and he looked up at Sesshomaru.

"If you want you can keep sending her here, we can train her as much as we can," he offered and Sesshomaru gently tightened his hold on Kagome's arms before looking down at her.

"Let her choose," he stated and Kagome looked up at him in surprise before looking back at InuTashio and Izayoi.

"I'd love to, it'd be great to learn how to control these new powers," Kagome answered softly, and Inutashio nodded towards her.

"Now we have to get ready for the Yule Ball tonight," Inutashio stated, quickly switching the subject, and smiled at his mate, "so you'll have to excuse us. We hope you two are still willing to come,"

"Of course," Kagome chirped, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but grimace. He hated his father's parties with every living morsel of his being. All he'd ever do was invite hundreds of people and cramp them all in one confined room. That wasn't Sesshomaru's idea of "fun" at all.

"If you'll hand over Rin, we'll be on our way as well," Sesshomaru stated and InuTashio placed a clawed hand on the little girl's shoulder before lightly shaking her awake. She blinked a couple of times before hopping out of InuTashio's arms to run to Sesshomaru's side. She didn't say anything to anyone, but looked happier than she had earlier.

"Goodbye Father, Izayoi," Sesshomaru said before leading the others towards the entrance. InuTashio and Izayoi followed them until they reached the entrance where Ahun was patiently waiting. Both the Lord and Lady bowed to the group before politely sending them on their way.

The three sat much like they had on the way over and Sesshomaru wound his right arm around Kagome's waist just as Ahun started to run.

(Divider)

Once they were all reunited back at the house Kagome resumed making dinner with Jaken's help, while Sesshomaru stood next to her with Rin in his arms. They were all silent, the only talking there was in the room was Kagome telling Jaken what ingredients to fetch for her. Jaken remained oddly quiet as well, and didn't fight Kagome as she bossed him around in the kitchen.

"Did Inuyasha tell the truth when he said his mother warned him about the attack?" Kagome asked all of the sudden, and turned to glance up at Sesshomaru.

"I'm not sure, but it seems all too easy of an excuse to use. I am your mate and Rin's father, it's only sensible that she would warn me first before she went to Inuyasha," Sesshomaru replied.

"Do you think maybe it was a quick decision? Maybe she had the vision while Inuyasha was visiting, and thought it'd be easier to just tell him?" Kagome asked again, though hoped Sesshomaru wouldn't get angry that she was openly defending Inuyasha's integrity. She cringed when his golden orbs narrowed and a disapproving grimace pulled his lips slightly downward.

"Though he did protect you, I can't write him off just yet. His timing seemed a little _too_ perfect to be coincidental," Sesshomaru replied. Kagome altered her eyes and rubbed her arm across her brow to swipe away a bead of sweat that had appeared there. Kagome knew all too well what was hiding behind Sesshomaru's cool mask, and that alone kept her from pushing any further.

She felt Sesshomaru's eyes on her as she began beating the dough she had made for bread. Call her old fashioned, but she loved homemade meals. Microwavable dinners and "already made" meals didn't cut it for Kagome.

"I want to help!" Rin exclaimed suddenly as she wiggled in Sesshomaru's arms before he set her down on the ground. Rin climbed up a nearby chair and placed her elbows on the table before resting her chin on her hands. Kagome smiled warmly at her before she gave her a smaller bowl that needed mixing.

"Can you mix the cookie dough for me?" she asked and Rin nodded enthusiastically before she took the bowl and mixer. Kagome overlooked the girl as she mixed like a pro, and it reminded Kagome of herself as a little girl. She always loved helping her mom make things in the kitchen.

Jaken was working the stove (Kagome had told him he would need to get used to using it since his staff of two heads could really harm someone) where Kagome had made the sauce and browned the meat.

"What are you making?" Sesshomaru asked as he walked over to the stove to survey what Jaken was doing. The little man stared up at him in awe, seeming to temporarily forget about his duties, and squawked when a drop of grease popped and landed on his hand before sizzling painfully on his skin.

"Pizza," Kagome replied, giving the dough one last punch before grabbing a roller to spread the bread across a pan.

"Pizza?" Sesshomaru repeated, puzzled.

"You'll see when I'm done. I promise you'll be begging for more," Kagome promised as she gave out a triumphant sound when the bread dough was spread out to her liking. Rin had finished mixing the cookie dough as well, and was sneaking a few licks off the spoon when she thought Kagome wasn't looking.

Maneuvering around a still cowering Jaken, Kagome grabbed the sauce and spread it across the flattened dough before grabbing the meat and distributing little balls of it across the large pizza. Kagome surveyed the pizza for a moment, thinking over what else there was to add.

Sesshomaru's fridge hadn't had much to offer, and she was positive Rin wouldn't approve of any vegetables in it. With a shrug, Kagome went to the fridge to grab a large bag of shredded cheese and sprinkled it across the sauce and meat.

"Alright," Kagome stated and clapped her hands together, "Jaken, want to open the oven for me?" Kagome asked. Jaken looked up from his cradled hand before jumping up on a chair Kagome had moved over for him and opened the oven door wide. Kagome pulled the pan to the edge of the counter before balancing it on her hands and turned around to face the oven. She pushed the pan onto the middle tray before closing the oven and setting it to 400 degrees.

"Now, we wait," Kagome chirped happily, and turned back around to face everyone. Rin paused mid-lick before hastily putting the spoon back into the cookie mixture and adverting her eyes. Kagome narrowed her eyes at her while smirking before going to grab the bowl.

"You'll spoil your dinner!" she scowled with a laugh before taking the spoon out and washed her hands. After that she pulled out a cookie sheet and grabbed globs of dough before molding them into a circle and placing them on the sheet. Rin quickly went to wash her hands and begged to help Kagome. Kagome pulled her up and let her sit on the counter top as she molded the dough along with Kagome.

Soon the sheet was finished, and Kagome placed it under the pizza tray. She closed the oven door before stretching.

"Alright, that should do it. Give the pizza another ten minutes before pulling it out Jaken, and twenty for the cookies," Kagome called to the little man, "I'm going to take a shower," she added and walked out of sight before climbing the staircase. No one stopped her on the way up, so she quickly grabbed a pair of clothes and under things from the drawer in her room before disappearing into the bathroom.

(Divider)

About forty-five minutes later Kagome emerged from the shower and was rubbing her ears with the towel she had dried her hair with. She descended the stairs and had just turned the corner to spot Sesshomaru and Rin asleep on the couch.

Sesshomaru was much too tall to lay on it comfortably, so his legs were hanging off the edge and his feet were planted firmly on the ground. His head was elevated by a pillow and he had one hand behind his head for extra support. Rin laid on top of his chest and had her legs hanging off the right side of his waist. Her hand rested next to her face while she laid on her other arm.

Kagome smiled at the cute scene they created before she turned to her left to see that Jaken had pulled out both the pizza and cookie tray. The pizza had been expertly cut into equal pieces and the cookies were already transferred to a bowl where they were cooling.

When Kagome approached the oven she saw that the majority of the pizza was gone, but at least there were a lot of cookies left. Kagome grabbed a slice of pizza and two cookies before she sat at the kitchen table to nibble on them. While it wasn't the healthiest food, it was definitely _good_ food.

As she munched, she realized that Jaken was no where to be seen. Where had he gotten off to? A moment later she got her answer when a loud snore came from the nearby chair. Kagome looked over to spot Jaken sprawled across the piece of furniture in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. Kagome returned her eyes to Sesshomaru and noticed that he didn't have his black suit jacket on.

Kagome had never seen Sesshomaru without his whole uptight outfit on, and the comfortable Sesshomaru looked _good_. His white shirt spread across his chest just enough to expose the hard muscles underneath. The first few buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned and Kagome could just make out the pale skin of his chest that lay underneath.

Kagome also inwardly enjoyed how the sleeping Rin smoothed over the tough guy image Sesshomaru presented. For even in his sleep, Sesshomaru looked focused and alert. When Kagome finished her pizza and cookies she made her way over to the two. She bent down to gently kiss Rin on the head before moving over to Sesshomaru. Her eyes hovered over his lips, but she decided on kissing his cheek instead.

Just as she turned to walk away Sesshomaru's hand shot out to quickly grab her arm. Kagome whirled her head around to look at him and saw that he was _very_ much awake. His golden orbs didn't look the least bit hazy from sleep as he took in her appearance.

"Where are you going?" he asked with a light growl coating his voice. The growl changed the meaning of his question from possessive to almost...provocative. A delightful chill went up Kagome's spine and she could feel her heart racing in her chest.

She didn't know if it was his appearance or voice that did it, but Kagome suddenly felt incredibly hot. He seemed to sense her increase in heat as well, because she saw his eyes widen slightly and he let her go before gently moving Rin off of him. He placed her on the couch and grabbed his suit jacket (it had been on a nearby chair) and covered her with it.

Once he seemed pleased with how he had covered Rin, he turned towards Kagome and when their eyes met Kagome suddenly felt the heat increase inside of her. It had cooled when he had been fussing over Rin, reminding Kagome that they weren't the only two in the room.

Sesshomaru slowly approached her and Kagome slid her hands along his stomach before wrapping them around his waist, bringing him close to her. He stood completely still and didn't return her caress, but she could feel the heat coming off of his body in waves. He was feeling the exact same thing she was, and she could tell it wasn't just because he could sense how she felt.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome murmured as she rested her cheek on his chest and ran her hands up his back. He continued to stand incredibly still, and Kagome wondered why. Surely he could read her thoughts and realize that she wanted him. Wouldn't that be enough to make him jump on top of her – for a lack of better words?

"It's not that I don't want you," Sesshomaru murmured as his hands came slowly up to rub her arms, his long fingers easily surrounding the width of her arm. Kagome happily shivered, because the feeling of him holding her was the most comforting thing she had ever felt in a _long_ time.

"Then what is it?" Kagome coaxed, also in a whisper. His hold tightened slightly, but still remained gentle.

"You don't seem to want me," Kagome's eyes widened at his response and she had the incredible urge to laugh. _Not want him? That was the furthest thing from the truth! _

"You always seemed so upset over the past few days when we were announced mates, and then when I announced us engaged," he clarified.

"That was because you hadn't told me about either, not because I didn't like the idea of us. I just don't like not having a choice, and I feel like I deserve to choose who I want to marry," Kagome answered and immediately felt like it was the wrong thing to say. Sesshomaru took a step back and his cold mask was immediately put back into place.

"I'm not saying I'm upset in anyway being mated to you, I just wished I would've had the chance to say yes," Kagome added.

"I understand, and my humblest apologies for not allowing you the right," Sesshomaru replied stoically. Instantly Kagome could sense the slight agitation and anger towards himself that Sesshomaru was feeling. He was thinking that he had forced this commitment from Kagome, that she hadn't even wanted it in the first place. Her eyes softened and she silently thanked the demon blood Sesshomaru had given her. Without it she wouldn't be alive, and wouldn't be able to sense this vulnerable side of him.

When Kagome first met Sesshomaru, she could never read through his cold and slightly bored looking mask. She always assumed he was too arrogant to feel anything for anyone. But now, she could tell she had been happily mistaken. There were feelings inside of him, just like there were in her. It didn't make a difference that he was a demon and she was human. He could still _feel_, something she had doubted at the beginning.

Kagome closed the distance between them before standing on her toes to gently press her lips against Sesshomaru's. She quickly pulled away and stared into his eyes, making sure to amplify the butterflies she felt fluttering in her stomach so he could read and understand _just_ how she felt around him.

"Don't think I don't want this," Kagome murmured reassuringly, "because I know I'm falling in love with you," she added in a soft whisper, and kissed him again. He ran his hands down her arms and returned the kiss before deepening it. Kagome lightly moaned against his mouth, silently cheering that he was kissing her. They had kissed before, a lot, but every time they did it always felt like the first time. Her heart would skip a beat and she'd be denying that it was even happening again and again in her mind.

Sesshomaru emitted a soft growl and wound his arms around the small of her back before pulling her up against his taller frame. Kagome ran her fingers through his hair before tracing her hands along his jaw, enjoying the feel of his skin against her fingertips.

His left hand traveled up her back to rest at the nape of her neck as the other one continued to hold her body against his. Kagome felt chills travel up her back as she shivered in his hold, but only kissed him harder. She didn't want this delicious feeling to go away, ever.

Of course, just as it was getting all good and steamy, that's when they had to stop.

The sound of little footsteps running by caught them both off guard and they quickly let go of each other. They turned in unison to spot Rin grabbing an apple from a bowl of fruit that was in the middle of the kitchen table. She stopped mid-bite to stare back at them in surprise.

"Aww, why'd you stop?" she asked, disappointment evident in her voice.

"Rin," Sesshomaru warned. It was obvious he didn't like that she had seen them together. Fathering instinct? Kagome could only guess that was the issue. He was afraid of setting a bad example and getting Rin interested in having relationships with boys. When he turned in her direction with a slight glare Kagome smirked, realizing that she was right and quite possibly giving more for Sesshomaru to worry about when it came to Rin.

"What? Are you afraid I'll tell Jaken? Because he already knows you're a couple," Rin answered back innocently. The three heads turned in the general direction Jaken was at and saw that he was still snoring softly on the chair he had been at before.

"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?" Kagome asked playfully after turning back to Rin and Rin pouted back at her.

"But this is so romantic!" she added, "please let me stay up a little longer!" she begged and Kagome couldn't help but smile. Even after all that had happened throughout the day she still could find it in her to be as happy and carefree as she always was.

"Besides the Yule Ball is still going on and Daddy lets me stay up until it ends," Rin pressed and ran back to the other room to grab the remote. After turning it on, she flipped through channels until a group of dancing couples appeared. Kagome's jaw dropped and she realized that she had totally forgotten about the Yule Ball, and she had promised InuTashio they'd go!

"We could still enjoy it here. I have the dress you would've worn," Sesshomaru offered and took off around the corner before Kagome could say whether she'd want it or not.

"Model it for me Kagome! Do it! Do it!" Rin cried out excitedly, "Daddy always knows what looks best," Kagome sighed and knew she couldn't tell Rin no, and she was positive that she probably never could.

"Alright," Kagome groaned dramatically, which got a laugh out of Rin. Sesshomaru returned a few moments later holding a very expensive and beautiful dark blue gown. Kagome stared at it with bulging eyes as he approached her and had to applaud his taste. The dress was absolutely gorgeous, and she hadn't even taken it off the hanger yet!

Without a word, Sesshomaru handed the priceless dress over to Kagome and she held it in her hands like it was glass. After a second of thoughtless oogling, she snapped out of her trance and hurried off to change. Heading to the nearest bathroom, she hung the dress up on the towel rack as she undressed.

Once she was ready to put the dress on, she carefully pulled it out of the plastic bag surrounding it and off its hanger. Delicately stepping into it, she slowly pulled it up her legs, over her hips, and finally covered her breasts. She bent her arms into the dainty straps and let them hang over her arms. Turning around, she took in her appearance in the body mirror that was on the other side of the bathroom.

The dress fit her perfectly and hugged her curves like a second skin. The top was embroidered with flowers, and silk was layered in stripes along the top part of the dress. At the waist the dress spread out into a bouffant skirt with parts of the silk pulled up to the left hip by a soft, dark blue rose. The dress reached the floor and had a small tail that seemed to effortlessly sway behind her. It was magical and Kagome had never felt prettier.

The way the dress was designed left Kagome's shoulders completely bare. Also, the dark color did wonders for her complexion, and made her skin look pearly white and soft. She noted too that the front of the dress was low enough to show off her mate mark.

The blue crescent moon hung right above the beginning of the silk gown and seemed even more evident due to the color. Kagome stared at the mark's reflection in the mirror, and rather enjoyed bearing the mark that proclaimed her as Sesshomaru's mate. It looked so perfect atop her right breast that she almost felt like it had always been there, and that she had always been Sesshomaru's.

She did a slow twirl in front of the body mirror before confidently walking out of the bathroom. Fidgeting in anticipation, Kagome walked back to Sesshomaru and Rin. When she entered the room she felt her heart flutter when Rin's eyes brightened, and skip a beat when Sesshomaru's eyes rested on the crescent moon above her chest. She also didn't miss the slight spark of approval that shined in the back of his eyes when they made eye contact.

"You look stunning," Sesshomaru complimented, and Rin nodded enthusiastically.

"Twirl!" Rin commanded and Kagome gave her a quick twirl before Rin rewarded her with one of her bright smiles. Running to her side, Rin grabbed both her hands before tugging her into the room they had been in before. Rin looked at the television screen and Kagome looked as well.

There were couples leaving the dance floor until only one remained, which Kagome instantly recognized as InuTashio and Izayoi. The camera zoomed in on the two as InuTashio gave Izayoi a low bow before gracefully taking her hand and twirling her into his arms.

Izayoi was just as graceful as her mate as the couple twirled around the room to the soft beat of the ballad that was being played. Rin squeezed Kagome's hands gently before looking up at her. Once Kagome turned to look back at her, she gave her a low bow and deepened her voice.

"Will you let me have this dance Princess Kagome?" Kagome had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but nodded before courtesying in return.

"Why, I'd love to dance," she replied and pulled Rin into her arms to balance her smaller form on her hip. Rin placed one hand on her shoulder and Kagome held the other before slowly pacing back and forth in a circle. She made sure to keep on beat with the song playing over the television. They continued like that until Kagome felt a light touch at the small of her back. She stopped instantly and turned her head around to see Sesshomaru standing behind her.

His head was bent down so Kagome couldn't see his eyes, but he wound an arm around her waist before pressing his lips against her ear.

"Could I have this dance?" he whispered and Kagome felt her heart start to flutter like a humming bird's wings as she tried desperately _not_ to visibly shiver in pure need at being so close to this man.

"You'll have to ask Rin," Kagome answered with a small smile, and turned to look back at Rin. Rin gave her a toothy smile before nodding.

"It's OK. I guess I can part with Kagome this _once_," she answered with a sigh, and stuck her tongue out playfully when Sesshomaru smirked at her. Kagome set her down on the ground and turned around to take Sesshomaru's hand, but he was too quick. He took a step back and gave her a graceful bow, much like the one InuTashio had given to Izayoi. Kagome courtesied as gracefully as she could, though could barely stand due to the fact that her knees were shaking so badly. Her nerves were going crazy inside her and she was worried she'd fall on her face at any second.

Sesshomaru smirked up at her (obviously reading her thoughts) before standing up straight and intertwining his fingers with hers as he pulled her up against him. His other hand rested at the small of her back as they paced to the beat of the music that was still playing on the television. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome noted that Rin had gone to sit on the couch. She laid on her stomach and was resting her chin on her hands while she watched them waltz with a dreamy fog inside the cinnamon colored depths of her eyes.

Kagome had to admit that she was mildly surprised that Sesshomaru _could_ dance. She pegged him as a man who wouldn't like it, or thought too high of himself to dance with anyone.

"Do you always find me so arrogant?" Sesshomaru asked, and when Kagome looked up at him, she noted that he had one eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you could read my thoughts," Kagome nervously laughed, "but to answer your question, no I don't think you're arrogant _all _the time. Just, when I first met you I got that vibe, and habits die hard," she added as nicely as she could. His eyebrow remained raised and before he could answer the phone rang and Sesshomaru let Kagome go to answer it.

"Hello," he greeted stoically, and Kagome watched him closely when his eyes widened slightly at who was on the other line.

"Yes, I understand. I will. You don't need to be worried about them, they're here with me. Fine. Goodbye," once he finished, he hung up the phone and Kagome was on him in an instant.

"Who was it?" she asked, and Sesshomaru turned to look back at her before answering.

"Inuyasha. Father told him about your new found powers, and he wants to see you," Sesshomaru replied levelly. Kagome looked to the ground after he finished speaking and felt her thoughts wander to Inuyasha. Why would he want to see her because she had found out about her dormant priestess powers? Did he know something they didn't?

"Inuyasha knows nothing that Father or I wouldn't know," Sesshomaru added, again reading her mind. Kagome bit her lower lip and nodded, but kept her gaze to the floor. Still...it seemed strange that Inuyasha would be so eager to see her. It felt like a sign of some sort, a sign that she should go to him and at least find out what he knew.

"I'm worried," Kagome voiced, figuring Sesshomaru would have read her mind anyway. Sesshomaru only stared back at her for a moment before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Kagome stared after him in surprise, but decided to wait.

"What would Uncle Inuyasha want?" Rin asked from her perch on the couch. Kagome looked back at her and gave her a half shrug.

"I don't think he really wants anything. I think he knows something about my powers," Kagome replied. Rin sighed and stretched her arms out before resting her head on the cushion, seeming too tired to continue the conversation.

Kagome turned back towards the direction that Sesshomaru had disappeared to, and a moment later he reappeared. In his hands were a pair of jeans and a dark blue sweater. Kagome gaped at him as he approached her and handed her the clothes.

"Go to him if you're so curious," Sesshomaru replied to her silent question, and Kagome blinked twice at him, as if not believing that this was the same Sesshomaru. Where was that protective, and slightly possessive, trait gone that she was used to seeing?

"But-" she began and he shook his head.

"You'd only argue with me if I forced myself to go with you," he responded. Kagome's eyebrows shot up at his assumption, and what surprised her the most was that he was right. She hadn't even thought about how she'd react to him wanting to go, and he had already known she would feel that way.

"Thank you," she answered softly and walked around him before hurrying to the bathroom to change.

(Divider)

_Oh yea. Now this was a SUPER long chapter and I'm happy with it. Hope everyone liked it! Sorry about putting Inuyasha in there guys, but I'm really enjoying the brothers triangle way too much to give it up yet! :)_


	20. Bonding with her past, enter Inuyasha

_Alright before anyone tries to kill me, I have to tell you that I've been hounded with homework/midterms all this semester. My university basically hates me right now, and I finally got to update this story! Sorry for the long wait everyone, hope this makes up for it though! :) Enjoy the next installment of "No work and all play" knowing that I'll be updating soon!_

_Review Corner_

_Crizzel: Happy you liked the previous chapter! Thanks for the review and hope you love this one too!_

_Narubby23: Aww love it when I hear that people love my story lol Thanks for the review!_

_Shiori Yume: Yes, Inuyasha is very interesting :) I personally like Inuyasha, but I did quite enjoy Kagome's criticisms of him in this chapter :D _

_DarkRavie: Glad you liked my chapter :D hope this one is good too, thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: Sorry for making you wait :/ hope it makes up for the wait though! Thanks for your review!_

_Jennaha11: Haha, I love how Rin has become my interrupter in my story, she kind of has a mind of her own ;). Thanks for the review!_

_Crystal jade2: You'll find out what Inuyasha tells her now! :) Thanks for the review!_

_Inu-babe34: Haha thanks for the review! I have elaborated for you my dear, and hope you absolutely love it!_

_Angelapage: yay, love positive remarks on my chapter :) thanks for my review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: You, my dear, never disappoint when I go to read your review :). Glad you liked the chapter, and hopefully you like this one. And don't worry about Sesshomaru running away in a huff, Kagome will find him and "comfort" him ;) prepare for the next chapter to justify the M rating! ;) Thanks for your review!_

_CutieSOS: You're so silly, but I really do hope you stay loyal . cause I'd be mighty sad if you didn't keep reviewing! Thanks for this review by the way! And yes a lot happened, but I couldn't stop the writing and didn't know where to stop lol!_

_Bluerosepunk: hahaha I looove this review! And it didn't offend me in the least! I love when my readers get really sucked into my stories! Thanks so much for your review!_

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(Divider)

After Kagome changed into the clothes Sesshomaru had given her, she was told to take Ahun with her. Not wanting to agitate Sesshomaru any further than she already had, she did what she was told.

Kagome had to admit that she was unsure if she should even go through with meeting Inuyasha. What would she _really_ get out of it? When had Inuyasha _ever_ known something she hadn't? She loved him dearly but...he wasn't always the smartest tool in the shed.

She was also second guessing her decision partly because she didn't want to leave Sesshomaru's side. Though she had known Inuyasha for much longer, she couldn't deny the fact that she felt so much more at ease in Sesshomaru's presence. Something about his dominant air and calculating mind made Kagome feel..._safe_. Like nothing could ever harm her if he was around. Kagome wondered then if that was why Rin stayed with him.

Kagome slowed her steps as she neared the tool shed, and took a deep breath before pulling the door open and hurriedly jumping inside. She made sure to grab the handle on the inside and slam the door closed behind her, so nothing from this world could travel into hers. Though she had only seen Ahun living in the tool shed, Kagome wouldn't risk it.

As if beckoned by her thoughts, the two headed dragon appeared a few feet away from her with his heads held high. He could sense that he was needed. Kagome gave him a half smile before approaching the demon. The dragon grunted at her before lowering his towering body to allow her to climb on his saddle.

"Thanks, Ahun," Kagome murmured, and couldn't resist running her fingers through his mane. The dragon let out a sharp whine before one of his heads came up to gently nuzzle her cheek. She smiled at him before scratching under the head's chin. After a few seconds of lovingly scratching the dragon, she sat back in the saddle, and Ahun swerved his two heads back around to stare straight ahead.

"Do you know where Inuyasha lives?" Kagome asked, and the two heads nodded in unison, "then take me there, quickly!"

Ahun let out a loud cry before squatting down and pushing off the ground with enough force to get them airborne. Kagome hastily grabbed hold of his mane, and held onto it for dear life as the dragon flew towards the door. Just as they were about to collide with it, Ahun's purple vortex appeared and they dived into the swirling entrance.

After a few fleeting seconds, a bright light appeared at the end of the purple tunnel. Once the two reached it, they saw a typical apartment complex come into view. Ahun had just reached the edge of the vortex when Kagome saw Inuyasha skid across the hallway in a great hurry with wide golden eyes. Kagome could only guess that he had sensed them, or Sesshomaru had forewarned him of their visit.

Ahun landed gracefully on the ground as the vortex behind them vanished just as his tail fell softly to the ground. Inuyasha blinked a couple of time at the two before his features scrunched together, and he glared at them.

"Do you _not_ own a car anymore, Kagome?" he asked, eying the dragon angrily. Ahun growled back at him and stomped his large feet on the floor, causing everything (including Inuyasha) to tremble and shake. The half-demon let out a grunt of surprise before he gained his footing and bared his teeth at Ahun warningly.

"Stop that! You'll bring down the whole building!" he seethed as Ahun stopped, but turned both his heads away from him as if no longer wanting to look at him. Inuyasha growled at the dragon, but didn't say anything more.

Before the two could start bickering again, Kagome slid down Ahun's side and softly landed on the floor. She turned to face Inuyasha before beginning to make her way towards him.

"Kagome..." he breathed, as if taking note of her presence for the first time. His eyes lingered on her face before they moved down her body, and then up again. Kagome ignored the lost look in his eyes in the hopes that his words wouldn't pull her in and hypnotize her again. She was tired of his games, and hated the weakness she had in her heart for him.

"Inuyasha," she greeted icily back, "you have something to tell me?" she reminded him, ending with an upward inflection. His eyes widened slightly before he looked to the side as if trying to remember what he was supposed to tell her. Her temper flared then, and she couldn't help it when her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Don't tell me you didn't have anything to tell me?" she growled, and Inuyasha flinched before slowly crouching down and away from her.

"I have something to tell you!" he assured her in a mumble after a moment, and then stood up straight. He seemed to have gained more courage, or his temper was flaring as well, Kagome wasn't completely sure of either choice.

"Well spit it out!" Kagome urged.

"I will once you calm down!" Inuyasha growled loudly back at her.

"I AM CALM!" Kagome screamed.

"WELL IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT TO ME!" he continued to yell back. Kagome glared daggers at him as she took in a deep breath, and tried her hardest to bottle in her temper. This always seemed to happen when they were together. She couldn't remember any time where they could go a whole day without arguing about _something_.

She was just about to speak again when Inuyasha burst out laughing. His outburst took Kagome completely by surprise that she immediately relaxed, and simply stared at him. He rested his right hand on his forehead while he continued to laugh and laugh and _laugh_!

"Wow, that felt so _good_," he commented once his laughter calmed down, "I never fought with Kikyo, and I've realized how boring our relationship is, now that you're here,"

"Shouldn't fighting be...a bad thing?" Kagome asked, though couldn't help the jealous pang that hit her chest at the mention of her cousin. She also ignored the line he had spit up about realizing his mistake "now that she was there." _Oh, how __**convenient**__, you didn't "realize" until now that I was the best thing for you,_ Kagome thought bitterly

"It was good for a while, but then it got boring. Everything just worked out perfectly, and I didn't find anything we did together exciting. Then, you're here for five minutes, and it's exhilarating!" Inuyasha explained, a silly grin still plastered on his face.

Kagome's guard fell at that, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. Though he could be obnoxious, pig-headed, and short tempered, Kagome had to admit that those were the traits that had drawn Kagome to him in the first place. His passions he had for everything in his life were admirable, and always seemed to mirror her own. _No, stop Kagome! Bad Kagome! Your falling under his spell again!_ Kagome thought with a slight grimace.

If she hadn't learned her lessons about Inuyasha from the past, then she was doomed to repeat the same ones in the future.

"I've missed you," he admitted sheepishly as Kagome's train of thought was broken, and she had trouble masking her surprise. _He_ had been the one to end their relationship the last time they had dated, so he could date her cousin. That fact alone caused Kagome's quickening heart beating to revert back to normal.

"You had something to tell me, something about my priestess powers?" Kagome reminded him, yet again. Inuyasha's features sharpened in confusion and slight anger at the sudden change of subject before his features became suddenly serious. _So, not playing by the rules of your little game upsets you, does it Inuyasha? _Kagome thought coyly, enjoying the fact that she had the well-known playboy on his toes.

"Yeah, it was something I learned from watching Kikyo practice. You can purify defiled objects, and create a barrier around your body to protect yourself from attacks," Inuyasha informed her, and Kagome's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Though she had known about purifying defiled objects from InuTashio, creating a barrier was news to her. Not to mention that Inuyasha had actually known something of value! Imagine that! _Maybe it __wasn't such a bad idea coming to see Inuyasha after all_, Kagome thought with a little smile.

"Kikyo said that the way to create a barrier around yourself was to extensively relax your body, and keep your mind completely blank. Once you're able to zone out the world, you'll be able to call on your priestess powers to create a protective barrier around you," Inuyasha explained, "try it," he coaxed.

Kagome closed her eyes, and tried to completely close her mind to the outside world. It took a while because any little noise would set her mind reeling with thoughts. Once she was able to zone out the loud noises like traffic (and the TV Inuyasha had apparently left on), she was currently having trouble zoning out the little sounds she'd hear.

Her hearing was so fine tuned that she could hear Inuyasha lightly breathing, and Ahun's heartbeat. Trying even harder to zone out the world, she eventually reached totally nothingness, and felt her body become completely covered in a warm, welcoming sensation.

"You did it!" she heard Inuyasha exclaim then. Kagome peaked one eye open to see a pink sphere completely covering her. She looked around herself to see that it was large enough to even encompass Ahun. She turned back to Inuyasha with a smile before noticing a second later that he had a puzzled look on his face.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, and the dog demon shook his head before fidgeting a bit, and then spoke.

"Well, it's just that Kikyo said it took complete concentration to hold up the protective barrier. But you're looking around, and your barrier is still up. I don't understand," he replied and Kagome shook her head in return, signaling to him that she didn't have the faintest idea either.

"Try to get rid of it," Inuyasha proposed, and Kagome willed the barrier to disappear. After a second or two, the barrier began to slowly disintegrate from the top as it trickled down harmlessly into the rugged floor.

"You definitely surpass Kikyo on mastery time. She said it took her a couple of hours to get the barrier to appear, and she can't be distracted or it'll disappear," Inuyasha commended before slowly approaching her.

"It's still so much to take in. I've lived my whole life thinking I was just a normal person living in a normal world," Kagome admitted, and didn't notice that Inuyasha had wrapped an arm around her waist until she felt her back pressed up against his chest. Her breath hitched and her eyes widened as she felt his nose gently nuzzle her neck.

"It's been so long since I've held you like this," Inuyasha murmured into her ear, and Kagome felt a delightful chill run up her spine at the feel of his warm breath against her skin. Kagome leaned into him and enjoyed the feel of his hands as they ran up and down the sides of her body.

His soft caress was something that Kagome had dearly missed. Kagome was always surprised in the fact that he could be so tough and angry one moment, and then so gentle the next. _Pulling out the big guns, eh Inuyasha?_ Kagome thought with an inward smirk. She had never been able to pinpoint his little acts or lines before. But now she wasn't having problems figuring out what was real, and what had been rehearsed.

His silvery hair brushed against the back of her neck and Kagome felt goosebumps appear. She also had the strongest urge to turn around and run her fingers through those silvery strands. Kagome quickly turned in Inuyasha's hold, and raised her hands to quench her desires before realizing that her hands had reached up too high.

She stared up at her hands that hovered above Inuyasha's head for a moment before realizing why she had done it. _Sesshomaru_. His name sounded in her mind, and Kagome felt her desires intensify. While Sesshomaru was a full head taller than her, Inuyasha was standing at her eye-level.

Kagome also realized then that it wasn't Inuyasha that was making her feel this desire, this _heat._ It was Sesshomaru. She had been envisioning him while being caressed by Inuyasha; the proof was in her reaching out to empty air above Inuyasha's head. She was reaching out to where Sesshomaru's head would've been.

She immediately pushed away from Inuyasha, and took a hasty step back. Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief before moving forward to reach for her.

"No," Kagome warned as she tried desperately to collect her wits. Could this mean that her infatuation with Inuyasha was over, that Sesshomaru's hold on her heart was stronger? It would explain why she was able to label his actions so quickly, as well as see right through them.

"Why? You were enjoying my touch a minute ago," Inuyasha replied rather hotly, seemingly bothered by the fact that she was rejecting his advances. He took a few more steps towards her and reached out to grab for her shoulder, but was stopped when a green light appeared around her body and his hand was instantly burned.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed as he retracted his hand and cradled it in his other one. Kagome stared at Inuyasha in shock before going to reach for him to inspect his wounds. Her gentle heart prevented her from purposefully hurting someone, even if that someone had caused her years of pain and heartache.

It was at that moment that Inuyasha held up his injured hand to stop her. Kagome stared at the scorch marks that coated his palm, and wondered what had caused the green light to appear. It hadn't been pink like her priestess powers, so it had to be something else.

"Shut it off!" Inuyasha commanded suddenly.

"Shut what off?" Kagome asked back urgently, desperately wanting to treat Inuyasha's burned hand.

"That green light surrounding you! You're melting through my floor!" Inuyasha yelled, and pointed to the ground near her feet. Kagome looked down to see that she indeed was burning through his floor. His carpet had already melted away, and Kagome could see the top of the wooden floor underneath begin to slowly disintegrate.

"B – But I don't know what triggered it! How do I shut it off?" Kagome yelled back, and tried to empty her mind again. The world around her suddenly faded to black, and Kagome felt her worries and fears begin to melt away.

After she reached complete relaxation, she opened her eyes and looked down at her body to see that the green light had faded and Inuyasha's floor was still somewhat intact. Kagome noted that her protective barrier had reappeared as well.

"Let me see your hand," Kagome urged as she took a step closer to Inuyasha. He took a few steps back and childishly glared back at her. She rolled her eyes before reaching out and grabbing his injured hand. She made sure to grab his wrist, so not to harm him any more.

"Stop being such a baby," Kagome scolded as she looked at the burn marks, and wondered if Inuyasha had a first aid kit somewhere.

"Don't worry about it. It'll heal," Inuyasha murmured, and as if on cue, new skin began to form over his burnt palm. And in a matter of seconds a brand new, uninjured palm stared back at her.

"That's amazing," Kagome commented with widened eyes, and it was Inuyasha's turn to roll his eyes at her.

"Any demon or half-demon can do it. You should be more amazed at yourself, there aren't many priestesses left in this day and age. And most of them can't even call on their powers, they just have the aura circulating around them," Inuyasha replied in a slight state of awe.

"That green light wasn't any priestess power I've ever heard of. What do you think it was?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha merely shook his head in response.

"I don't know. Pops might, he always seems to know everything there is about demons and priestesses," Inuyasha answered with a shrug, "So...what's going on with you and my brother?" he asked all of the sudden, catching Kagome completely off guard.

Kagome couldn't help the angry glare and the firm smack she planted on the half-demon's cheek.

"That's none of your business!" she growled.

"The hell it isn't! He's my half brother and you're my ex girlfriend!" Inuyasha yelled back, "so I have the right to know if you two are a...'thing,'" he added in a tight voice.

"We aren't a...I mean...we haven't..." Kagome trailed off as she turned away from Inuyasha for a moment. She was about to yell that nothing was going on, but that would've been a lie. She bore Sesshomaru's mate mark, which meant that they were, by demon standards, "together." But that hadn't even become romantically involved yet, sure they had kissed...but what was a kiss, really? Two good friends could become "make-out buddies" without a problem, and never end up in a relationship.

"Earth to Kagome," Inuyasha called before tugging on a strand of her hair, "is there anybody in there?" he had the guts to ask. Kagome sent him a glare before reeling back, and getting her arm ready to land another good smack on Inuyasha's cheek. But then something else caught her eyes, rather two somethings that sat atop Inuyasha's silvery head that she hadn't noticed before.

Not voicing what she was about to do, Kagome reached out and tenderly placed her thumbs and index fingers against twin silvery dog ears before rubbing the obnoxiously cute appendages. Inuyasha stared back at her in shock before his eyes narrowed, "And just what do you think _you're_ doing?" he asked.

"Wow, they feel so soft," Kagome murmured before giving out a little giggle, and letting go of his adorable ears.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't do that again, ever," Inuyasha seethed.

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you use a sophisticated sounding word, Inuyasha. Congratulations," Kagome seethed back, and Inuyasha's glare intensified before his little ears hid themselves amongst the thick locks of his silvery hair.

"Watch yourself, woman," Inuyasha warned.

"Or what? I burned your hand, maybe this time I'll burn something a little more..._important_," Kagome threatened, and then grinned before wiggling her hands in front of Inuyasha menacingly.

"D-Don't you touch me, woman!" Inuyasha sputtered before letting out a worried cry as Kagome proceeded to chase the half-demon around the living room. Ahun gave out a tired sigh amidst all the chaos before resting his body against the floor and letting his two heads fall to the ground with a light thump.

(Divider)

"M – my lord?" Jaken asked worried as he watched Sesshomaru pace back and forth between the backyard of the mansion and the tool shed. Jaken knew that there were only two reasons why Sesshomaru would walk into that tool shed: either to deal with his demonic duties as Lord of the West in the other dimension that the tool shed provided, or to kill something.

Jaken was betting his life that it was the latter. His lord never let his feeling show, and only his pacing was a sign of his annoyance. Sesshomaru's face stayed respectfully neutral and even his eyes kept their slightly bored appearance.

"What is it, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked tightly, acknowledging Jaken's presence for the first time since he had begun his pacing. Jaken let out a squeak of fear before rubbing his hands together, thinking of a good way to preach what he wanted to say.

He wanted to tell his lord that the human woman, Ms. Higurashi, was a fool for going to see Inuyasha, and that _he _was an even bigger fool for letting her go. But there was no way he could just come out and say that, and still be able to keep his little green head attached to the rest of his body.

Ms. Higurashi (he was too frightened to use her first name, even in his thoughts) had never seen Sesshomaru's angry side, or his true form as a matter of fact. She had no idea what kind of monster she could unleash if Sesshomaru was even mildly agitated. In fact, Jaken was surprised that Sesshomaru hadn't already transformed and gone to tear up the city.

"Uh, nothing my lord," he murmured lamely, unable to think of anything to say, and feared staying in his lord's presence any longer. Sesshomaru huffed at him before resuming his pacing, an action that seemed to put Jaken even more on edge. Just how long would Sesshomaru keep this up?

"Jaken, watch over Rin. I'm heading to the other world," Sesshomaru ordered all of the sudden, and Jaken couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him at hearing those words.

"Of course, my lord!" he yelled out obediently, though shuttered as he watched his lord walk towards the shed. If the sound of cracking claws and the low menacing growl erupting from Sesshomaru's chest weren't enough to convince Jaken he was going to kill something, he wasn't sure what would.

(Divider)

"Hey Inuyasha, why did you ask if Sesshomaru and I were a thing before?" Kagome asked as the two lay sprawled out on the floor. They had agreed on a truce after a couple minutes of Kagome's chasing, a victory Kagome wouldn't soon forget.

"You guys are all over the paper nowadays. It would be stupid if I _didn't_ think you two were a couple," Inuyasha replied with a grunt, and that got Kagome to sit up. "All over the paper?" Kagome repeated, and Inuyasha twitched an ear in her direction before turning to lazily look up at her.

"Yeah, every day this week you and Sesshomaru have made front page news," Inuyasha answered before jumping to his feet and walking over to the kitchen table a few feet away. He grabbed something from it and walked back to her side. She instantly recognized the thing in his hands as the day's paper, and snatched it from his hands to take a look.

What Inuyasha had said was true, there they were on the front page. Rin was waving excitedly at her, while Sesshomaru stood in between the two, his arm lazily draped around Kagome's waist. Kagome blushed at the fact that the photographer had captured such an intimate scene without their knowledge, but remembered this scene playing out only yesterday when they all traveled to work together.

Kagome was grinning ear-to-ear at the fact that she was even front page worthy, until she spotted the headline: "Love or Lust?" Unable to help herself, Kagome began reading the first few sentences:

_Kagome Higurashi joined Inu Tashio Corp. a mere three months ago. More than enough time to hatch her plan to make it up in the business ranks by seducing her boss Sesshomaru Tashio, the new owner of Inu Tashio corp. Doesn't it seem a bit __**convenient **__that Ms. Higurashi just so happened to get hired just as happily married InuTashio was passing his legacy on to his intelligent, wealthy, and __**single**_ _son? Sources have said that Ms. Higurashi started her seduction by working on a relationship with his adoptive daughter, Rin, to eventually win him over. Once Rin trusted her, than so could Mr. Tashio. So the question is: is this a case of love, or lust? A seeking of innocent companionship, or a quest for power? _

Kagome placed the newspaper down and glared at the floor, angry that someone could make such accusations about her. If they really knew her, they'd know that she was not the type of woman to manipulate someone like that for power. She was a hard-worker, and would _never_ stoop so low! She quickly scanned the article for an author, but saw that it was cleverly signed '_anonymous_.'

"All this week's headlines have been like that. I don't know who's writing them, but I know that isn't you Kagome. You wouldn't do such a thing," Inuyasha murmured confidently, and Kagome gave him a thankful smile before tossing the newspaper to the ground.

"One of the articles said that you're staying at his house. Is that true?" Inuyasha asked, though bit his lip, and looked a little reluctant to hear her response. Kagome instantly knew why.

When they had been a couple (however many times _that_ had been), Kagome and Inuyasha had never moved in together, no matter how serious they had gotten with each other. Kagome could tell that even now Inuyasha wasn't living with Kikyo, because there was nothing feminine lying around. She was also sure her cousin would've at least said hello by now if she were there.

"Yes. But I lost the keys to my apartment, and he's just loaning me a guest room until I get my locks changed. Which I keep forgetting to do," Kagome murmured and Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You got locked out?" he asked, "why didn't you call me? I would've come out and got you," he added.

"Well, Sesshomaru was there with me when I realized it, and by the time we got to the house I didn't feel like asking him for a phone. He just comes off as the type of guy who doesn't really do too many good things for people, so I wanted to take advantage of it, even though I know how selfish that sounds," Kagome replied with a saddened smile. What had she become? Were the papers right about her? Just some seductress trying to win Sesshomaru over for power?

_Of course not,_ her mind fought her, and Kagome had to hide a smile that was tugging at her lips. "No, of course not," she couldn't help but utter under her breath.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked softly, and Kagome turned towards her ex boyfriend to see that he looked positively lost and vulnerable as he stared back at her.

"Yeah?" she asked back, momentarily taken aback at how sad and alone Inuyasha looked, as Inuyasha let out a shaky sigh before adverting his golden eyes.

"I think you should head back to Sesshomaru now. Frankly, I'm surprised he's not off destroying the city in a blind rage, since his mate's here with another single male," Inuyasha stated and Kagome's eyes widened.

"You know I'm his mate?" she asked, completing ignoring the comment about destroying the city. She knew that Sesshomaru could take care of himself. He'd probably find another way to vent out the anger that she felt boiling in his system at the present moment.

"'Course I do! His scent is all over you, and your own scent smells a bit different. It's the same change that happens to everyone once they've been marked," Inuyasha replied.

"So why ask me if we were a thing if you already knew that I was marked?" Kagome couldn't help but ask.

"I wanted to hear you say it," Inuyasha answered truthfully, "cause then I'd know it was official, and the bastard didn't just mark you to piss me off,"

"Do you really think I'd let him just mark me?" Kagome asked, a little offended at the meaning behind Inuyasha's words. He grinned at her then, and playfully flicked her nose with a sharp claw, "I guess you wouldn't. You're one tough wench Kagome,"

"Hey! Don't call me wench!" Kagome yelled before giving Inuyasha's cheek another good smack.

(Divider)

_Just want to leave a little author's note: Nobody freak out about Sesshomaru getting angry! Kagome will find him and "comfort" him the best way she can ;). Be prepared for the next chapter to finally do the M rating justice! **wink wink, nudge nudge**_


	21. Time to put Sesshomaru's worries to rest

_Alright folks, this chapter has got everything! Profuse language, nudity, sexual contact, a little bit of violence, the works! I hope you enjoy it! :D _

_Review Corner_

_Soapy Soap Soap: first off, love your user name :). And it's cool, I know her last name is Hirogashi, but I liked the sound of Mirotashi. I know you were just informing me though lol_

_Crizzel: haha I know right? Even I was excited for this next chapter, and I'm the writer, I'm supposed to know what's going on! Lol thanks for the review :) _

_Crystal jade2: haha I know right? I enjoyed it during the show, so thought I'd add it in here too. Thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: yup yup, Kagome has finally made up her mind! Thanks for the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: well since this is AU, I wanted to have Inuyasha not be aware that his older brother has powers. Since the two weren't all that close to begin with in the show, I thought that'd they'd be even less close in this story. To the point that Inuyasha basically knows his name and face, but nothing else about him. But thanks for the review! :) I always love your reviews!_

_MoonPrincess1989: thanks for your review! :) hope that you'll enjoy this chapter too!_

_Fairqueen: haha oh yea, it's coming alright ;) thanks for the review!_

_Caitibug323: aww loved your support and patience in this review! :) Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for the review! P.S. The pic you have on your profile is the picture that inspired sesshy's outfit on the lunch that he and Kagome had together :)_

_Dorris2609: haha love your enthusiasm :) :) and I also love to hear that readers get hooked from ch.1! Thanks for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter too!_

_Shiori Yumi: haha I'm loving your excitement for this m rated goodness! Now, I'm still a virgin so please be kind to me! Lol thanks for the review and hope you like this chapter!_

_Mel: glad you like my story :) :) thanks for your review!_

_Biteme4eturn-t: it is interesting right? I kinda figured that he'd be the possessive type, so I always love playing around with the idea in my stories :) thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: thanks for your ever loyal review my friend :), and hope that this is what you were waiting for! Thanks for the review!_

_XxBeautiful Black RosexX: loved your review! :) hope that you like this chapter too! _

_Red Rose Cat: thanks for your review! Glad you like my work! I'm always aiming to please :) _

(Divider)

"Umm...Jaken? What _happened_ here?" Kagome asked once she entered Sesshomaru's mansion. The little man let out an angry sigh before pointing a little finger in her direction, "You happened! Lord Sesshomaru went on an angry rampage while you were away. Given that he can't fully transform in this world he took out his bent up rage on the house – along with everything in it! All the paid help ran for the hills when he broke the kitchen table in two! Who knows if they'll even come back after that little episode! I'm just relieved he finally went to the other world to transform," Jaken replied as he held his head in his hands and shook it back and forth anxiously.

Kagome took her time surveying what was left of the house and, frankly, she was surprised it was still standing. Vases and parts of tables and chairs were flung everywhere, paint was clawed off the walls, windows were shattered, and there were body-sized holes in every wall. _Had Sesshomaru actually thrown __**people**_ _against these walls?_ Kagome thought as a strange fear collected in her stomach. She had heard of temper tantrums, but this was in a whole other league.

Jaken let out another sigh before stating, "He didn't hurt anyone, at least, no one human. Rin made him this "anger management" life sized doll out of newspapers and glue a few weeks after she first arrived here. He's been throwing that around. Surprisingly, the doll is still usable, and quite intact,"

"He did this to keep from killing Inuyasha," Jaken continued after a moments pause, "since you both are mates now, it's hard to allow the other anywhere near someone of the opposite sex who could be a possible threat to your relationship. Lord Sesshomaru must've known that you cared for Inuyasha, and saw that if he killed him it would put your relationship at worse standings than if Inuyasha tried seducing you,"

Kagome froze at Jaken's words as realization clicked in her mind. Had Sesshomaru been able to read her thoughts when Inuyasha was all over her...and she had wanted it? Of course it had been Sesshomaru she had been thinking about, but Inuyasha's hands had still been the ones all over her body, could Sesshomaru have sensed that?

"Did he read my thoughts?" Kagome asked, and Jaken shook his head, "No, he said that your mind was closed off to him, which only served in fueling his anger. He assumed that you had something to hide from him by your actions. You see, Lord Sesshomaru may seem calm and completely in control, but inside he is a boiling, angry, seething mass of bent up rage!*," Jaken answered, and Kagome pressed her fingers against her lips as she dove deep in thought.

She had never known that closing off her mind to Sesshomaru was even possible, and didn't understand why it would shut Sesshomaru out. Could it have stemmed from the priestess barrier Inuyasha had instructed her to make?

"I have to find him, and explain what happened," Kagome murmured ,and Jaken nodded his head swiftly, "Yes, it's about time. He's in the other world, the one through the tool shed," Jaken answered and Kagome nodded swiftly in return before hurrying around him.

Jaken realized then the danger that Kagome could potentially be in, and let out a squawk of fear for his own life. Surely Sesshomaru would have his head if something happened to his mate, so he whirled around and yelled after her,

"Wait, Ms. Higurashi! At least take Ahun with you!" Jaken advised, and Kagome nodded towards him while she placed her fingers in her mouth and blew on them. A second later, a loud whistle emitted from her throat just as she arrived in the backyard.

The darkness of the night took her by surprise for a moment before she collected herself. She hadn't realized that while she had been away it had gotten so late. Ahun's large scaly body landed on the ground before her, and he let out a loud grunt of greeting before crouching down so she could scramble up on his back.

"We need to find Sesshomaru, Ahun," Kagome ordered once she got settled on his saddle, "your master is very angry right now, and I'm going to have to think of a way to calm him," Kagome stated and the dragon nodded his two heads before turning to face the tool shed.

Jaken stumbled out from the doorway before rushing to the tool shed door, "Allow me, Ms. Higurashi!" he chirped as his hand grabbed a hold of the doorknob before swinging the door wide open for them.

Kagome saw no spectacular light or anything extraordinary happen on the other side. In fact she hadn't noticed anything radically different about the other world during her other visits. _It looks the same as it did on my side, is the other world really all that different?_ Kagome thought, but merely kept her thoughts to herself as she kicked Ahun's sides to get him moving.

He started trotting towards the door before quickening his pace into an all out run. When they passed the doorway, Jaken shoved the door shut right as Ahun's scaly tail left Kagome's world behind.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru observed his handiwork as bits and pieces of demon corpses decorated the clearing he was presently standing in. After arriving in this realm, he was pleased to scent foreign demons on his lands. _The perfect opportunity to vent off a little steam_, Sesshomaru had thought as he had made his way to the group of novel scents.

The foreign demons had ended up being a group of vengeful leopard demons, angered at the loss of their lands after the dog demons of the West had successfully destroyed their neighboring boundaries. They had been easily dispatched, though the leader had been a tad bit more difficult, but Sesshomaru hadn't minded. It gave him the excuse to transform into his full form and quickly devour the demon.

For the rest of the group, he had reverted back to humanoid form and called on his poison whip, with which he made quick work of them. This incident would serve as a dark warning to other enemy groups that vengeance taken in haste would serve no just reward when up against him.

Sesshomaru stood perfectly poised atop a hill as he rubbed his claws against his chin and pulled the appendage away to spot blood on his knuckles. _Hn...it's been so long since I've killed something that I've gotten sloppy_, he thought with a sneer before rubbing the rest of the evidence of the kill off his face, and licking it greedily away.

Though he enjoyed the high a kill gave him, he could not be seen with any reminisce of the blood of a kill on his person. It would ruin his reputation, and he rather liked being known as the "killing perfection" as his name literally described. He had gotten so caught up in thought that he stiffened in slight surprise when a familiar scent peaked nearby. He turned just in time to catch Kagura walking out from under the shadows of a nearby tree.

"Sesshomaru," she greeted with a dark smile, her red painted lips curving upward seductively, "I haven't seen you in this realm for a long time. I figured you had left your ruling responsibilities to your mother in exchange for eternity in the human world," she added before reaching for her hidden fan that she kept in her white and purple kimono sleeve.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed as he carefully analyzed her motions, his body tense and eager to fight if she chose her next move unwisely. She gave him a knowing smile before dangling one side of the accessory between her fingers as the other side fell gracefully forward, exposing the entirety of the fan. She balanced the fan in her slender fingers before beginning to harmlessly fan herself, but she didn't hesitate to wink at him with a teasing smirk.

"My my, but don't you look so _handsome _in your traditional clothing. I much prefer this to your modern day tuxes that every corporate man is forced to wear," Kagura complimented. It was true, Sesshomaru had disposed of his tux back at the house in the human world. The main reason had been because he was better recognized when he wore the clothes with the royal seal of the West on the right shoulder. Another reason had been that no one had ever seen a tux in Feudal Japan, so wearing such a thing would stir confusion and unneeded questioning.

"What do you want from me, Kagura? I know it isn't to shower me with compliments," Sesshomaru commented stoically in return. Kagura flashed him another pearly white smile as she closed her fan and gently tapped it against her pale chin before answering,

"Am I truly that easy to read? I simply _must_ work on my subtlety skills," she laughed, but Sesshomaru remained silent as his inner anger waited patiently for her real reason. He had known from the moment he had set eyes on her that Kagura was crafty and cunning, which only put him on edge whenever he was around her. He could never predict what she would do next, or what she had up her sleeve.

"If you must know," she sighed after a moment, "I came because I've noticed that your...lustful demonic desires have spiked in the last few days, and I was wondering if I could be of _service_ to you,"

"You would sell yourself to me?" Sesshomaru couldn't mask his surprise or disgust as he eyed the woman. What would cause such an attractive woman to stoop so low? Surely Kagura had enough opportunities with men that she wouldn't need to do such a thing.

"Not sell per say...more like an equal exchange of services. I help you with your situation...and you give me a job at InuTashio Corp." Kagura offered as she took a few steps closer, making sure to flutter her long black eyelashes in his direction.

"No," he rejected, but Kagura merely smiled. Now, only a few inches separated the two as she reached out and traced a strand of his silvery hair with a slender finger, "Kagome may be your female of choice right now, but she's human. She can't give you the pleasure that a demoness can. Only demoness know what their males _truly_ desire, what they _crave_," Kagura slurred seductively as she inched even closer to press herself against his body, and she parted her lips when she inclined her head, intending to press her lips against his in a kiss.

Sesshomaru's demonic instincts demanded that he put her in her place...and answer her lustful call. He had kept his demon locked up for too long...and he was returning with a vengeance.

(Divider)

Kagome couldn't believe her eyes when she took in the sight before her. She had just gotten airborne on Ahun in the new world, and the first thing she saw was a huge white dog-like creature towering over the nearby trees. It shook its mighty head as its right paw came forward to swipe at something by its feet. Then it bent down to grab something from the ground. A moment later, it reared back its head and Kagome caught a glimpse of a strange cat/human creature caught in between the dog's large fangs.

_And here I thought there wasn't much difference between both worlds, _Kagome thought sarcastically as her eyelids lowered over her chocolate eyes. She gave out a gasp a second later when the dog opened its large mouth and gobbled up the creature, much like its tiny counterpart would a tasty doggy treat. Kagome would've laughed if the blood of the devoured creature hadn't completely coated the dog's muzzle. Now she just felt sick and a little bit frightened. Ahun let out a whine of reassurance before flying closer.

"Wait! Why are you getting closer? Didn't you see that thing just eat that other creature?" Kagome exclaimed as she pulled on Ahun's reigns with all her might, but the dragon ignored her petty tries to control him. A moment later Kagome watched in amazement as the dog was encompassed by a white light and disappeared, at least from her view.

The light hadn't traveled anywhere, so Kagome could only assume that the dog had shrunk down to hide amongst the tall height of the trees. Ahun let out a growl as he began to descend, and landed only a few feet away from where the dog had "disappeared."

Kagome curiously looked around the clearing, and the first thing she noted was the harsh metallic smell of blood. Though the smell of blood had never bothered Kagome before, the sheer clarity that her nose picked up the scent was enough to make her stomach heave aggressively. She covered her mouth and tightly shut her eyes as she willed the smell to disappear. She was so caught up in the sharpness of the smell that she jumped in surprise at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice. _He's close! _Kagome thought in glee, _I can apologize, and tell him how I really feel_, she added with a small smile of anticipation.

Kagome's hand fell to her side as she jumped off Ahun's saddle, and took a few steps forward to greet Sesshomaru, but stopped when she heard the voice of another. _Kagura_, Kagome thought in surprise, _why is she here?_

"...Kagome is human. She can't fulfill your demonic desires, but I can, and I will. All you need to do is say the word, Sesshomaru," she heard Kagura murmur. Kagome couldn't help the pang of jealousy that hit her chest as she neared the edge of the forest.

Had Sesshomaru been with Kagura all along? Had she been made the lover's fool once again? While Kagome was sure she couldn't feel much worse, she felt another harsh pang in her chest when she spotted the couple. Kagura had wound an arm around Sesshomaru's waist while her other hand was gently twirling a lock of his hair around her long finger.

_He is mine_, she thought as she eyed Kagura spitefully. She knew that normally she'd just remain in her hiding spot and see what Sesshomaru would do next, but something inside her _wouldn't allow_ her to just stand there. _He is mine!_ Her thoughts voiced once more as Kagome's hands clenched into fists at her sides.

This newfound anger was rising within her, and warming her entire body profusely. She had been angered to the point of boiling over before, but it had never felt like this. It felt like another being was slowly taking over her body, and whispering that Sesshomaru was _her_ mate, _she _was the only one who could touch him, embrace him like that, and that Kagura _needed_ to disappear _now_.

Kagome fisted her hands even tighter and was surprised when she felt her nails bite into her palms and felt blood trickle down her wrists; but the pain didn't even phase the anger that was still rising inside Kagome.

She should be furious not only with Kagura, but with Sesshomaru as well, for allowing another woman to _touch_ him. Kagome stopped mid-thought with a soft gasp of surprise. _This feeling... this anger. This must be how Sesshomaru felt when I..._Kagome couldn't finish her thought as a feeling of disappointment in herself arose in her chest. _I should have known going to Inuyasha would upset him more than he let on...karma is such a bitch,_ Kagome thought with an inward sigh.

Now, Kagome was _sure_ that she was a very understanding and patient person when it came to dealing with others. But when Kagura inched forward close enough that Kagome was sure if Sesshomaru didn't pull away they'd end up locking lips, Kagome _snapped_. She let out a low growl she hadn't even known her vocal cords could create, and angrily stomped into the clearing.

"Alright bitch, you need to get the _fuck_ away from Sesshomaru, _now_!" Kagome snarled as the two turned at the sound of her voice. Sesshomaru didn't seem the least bit surprised to see her, but Kagura looked positively horrified.

"But she's a human, she can't –" Kagura stopped mid-sentence to turn those alarmed red eyes from Kagome to Sesshomaru as something seemed to click in her brain, "you two are – when did this happen?" Kagura shrieked as she turned from Kagome to Sesshomaru.

"If you don't move Kagura, I'll _make_ you move," Kagome threatened as she took a couple more steps towards the woman. Kagome was sure something funky was going on within her when she started to feel like her eyes were on fire. As well as when she picked up the scent of grass burning around her feet.

"Impossible – you do not bear Sesshomaru's mate mark!" Kagura cried our as she frantically searched Kagome's face and neck. She was most likely looking for the blue crescent moon that laid unknowingly hidden beneath her shirt.

Unable to help herself, Kagome grabbed the ends of her shirt and pulled it over and off her head to expose the crescent moon above her right breast. It hung a few inches above the cup of her bra, and she hardly cared that she was basically half-naked in front of two full-blooded demons. Kagura blinked twice in surprise as she remained quiet, seemingly unable to speak, or find the right words to say at the moment.

"Happy now?" Kagome asked impatiently as she rested her hands on her hips and continued to glare hotly at Kagura. Her eyes still felt on fire, and Kagura's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed angrily, and she pulled the feather out that had been decoratively placed in her hair bun.

"Don't think this is over," she seethed as she threw the feather to the ground as it increased in size, and she hopped on top of it as it took off into the sky. Kagome waited until she was out of sight before whirling on her heel to face Sesshomaru with the same menacing glare she had been giving Kagura. He didn't show any signs of fear; rather there was this stupid half-smirk on his face as he eyes traveled slowly down, and then back up her form. He did it in a way that made Kagome feel like he was sizing her up, and then found her utterly harmless.

"You better wipe that silly smirk off your face, I'm mad at you too," Kagome seethed as she walked closer to him so she could poke a finger at his chest with each word she spoke.

"That is not news to me, mate. I can both see and sense that," Sesshomaru commented as Kagome tried to ignore the satisfying flip-flop her heart did when he referred to her as his mate. Her eyes narrowed as she continued with saying, "Why was Kagura here?"

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, mate?" Sesshomaru asked back, his smirk still in place. Kagome felt her heart do another flip-flop at the title he gave her, and saw Sesshomaru's smirk widen just a smidgen more.

"Just answer the question, _mate_," Kagome ordered and enjoyed the spark of desire that flared in Sesshomaru's eyes at the mention of _him_ as _her_ mate.

"She came with a proposition. A job at InuTashio Corp. in exchange for sex," Sesshomaru replied bluntly.

"And you would...you would have done it?" Kagome asked softly after a pause. Sure, she knew that Kagura was pretty, but she had never thought that Sesshomaru would've gone for _that _type of woman.

"Of course not, but I was tempted," Sesshomaru murmured back as he inclined his head slightly to look down upon her through lowered lids, and Kagome could sense that he was eagerly awaiting her reply.

"Why?" Kagome couldn't help but ask. All sorts of fears and doubts in her own looks and personality filled her head as she waited to hear the basic guy answers like: you're boring me, she's got a better body, she's prettier, it's not you it's me babe, we just have more in common, it's nothing personal.

"Because of you," Sesshomaru bit out as he grabbed her bare arms and whirled their bodies around so Kagome was pressed up against a nearby tree. They moved so fast that Kagome felt more like he had teleported her rather than moved her, but couldn't mask her surprise and confusion at his answer.

"Me?" she repeated with a blink of surprise.

"Running off to Inuyasha like that. I was _sure_ you were going to mend things with him when you closed your mind off to me," he answered and Kagome's eyes widened when she could _sense_ the feelings of unease, mistrust, anger, and _jealously _that were coursing through Sesshomaru's mind. _So I had been feeling what Sesshomaru had when I was with Inuyasha!_ Kagome thought as she made the connection before her dark eyes softened and she reached out to gently cup Sesshomaru's jaw in her palm.

"Tell me what I can do for you, Sesshomaru. You shouldn't need to go to another for something that _I_ can give you," Kagome murmured and enjoyed the light purr Sesshomaru emitted as he caught her gaze with his own before bending down to gain access to her neck as he placed a gentle kiss against her skin.

"Spoken like a true female Inuyoukai*. You have surprised me once again, Kagome," Sesshomaru whispered against her ear as Kagome shivered at the feel of his warm breath against her skin. It was only when Sesshomaru placed his large hand on the top of her hip that Kagome realized she was still half-naked in front of him.

His long agile fingers traced the curves of her natural body shape as his other hand joined in the exploration, only stopping to grasp her breasts for a quick moment, before continuing back down to her hips. She could feel his smile on her skin when she took in a sharp breath at the feel of his hands encompassing her breasts for that split second.

Stating that her desire for Sesshomaru at the moment was intense was an understatement. Kagome had wanted men before, had even had mind-blowing sex with men before, but Sesshomaru was merely kissing and caressing her body, and he had already blown the other men out of the park.

"Good to know," he smirked against her skin as he let his tongue peek out of his lips to begin drawing little circles along Kagome's neck.

"Is this because we're mates - that I feel this way?" Kagome asked, but already knew the answer. She could _feel _Sesshomaru's arousal as if it were her own, as she was sure he could feel hers. Kagome had known that men were turned on by women, but it was a whole other experience to actually _feel_ just how much they enjoyed being with women. Combining her arousal with Sesshomaru's was enough to cause Kagome to cry out when Sesshomaru's hands returned to her breasts and his arousal along with hers burned inside her.

Kagome felt her eyelids grow heavy as she threw her head back with a shaky moan when Sesshomaru's mouth decided to travel _down_. The sight of Sesshomaru's silvery head as well as the feel of his lips and tongue in between her breasts were enough for Kagome's legs to give out. One of Sesshomaru's hands quickly wound around her waist and held her upright as he continued to run his tongue along her skin.

Sesshomaru let his other hand that had been caressing her breast fall away, and Kagome would've been upset if he hadn't rested it at the small of her back and ran his rough fingers along the line of her back. Delightful chills ran up her spine as Kagome let her head fall back to rest on the bark of the tree behind her as she ran her fingers through Sesshomaru's silvery hair in response.

Kagome wasn't sure when it happened, but she was _positive_ that she had had a bra on when they had started making out like hormone driven teenagers. But when Sesshomaru returned one of his hands to her right breast, she felt the skin of his palm against her chest. _His hand hadn't felt that warm when he had been touching me there a second ago!_ Kagome thought as slight confusion surfaced over the desire that had been clouding her mind. She looked down and nearly broke out into a deep blush when she saw her bare breasts and tightened nipples resting on either side of Sesshomaru's face.

_Holy Hell he moves fast!_ Kagome thought with a few more blinks before her thoughts were scattered when Sesshomaru replaced his palm with his lips as he gently suckled her right breast. The feel of his tongue and lips against her nipple was enough to get her to cry out once more. Her body shuddered against his as her entire being began to hum with all the pleasure she felt coursing through her veins.

Kagome suddenly felt too under dressed for her liking, and grabbed a hold of the white shirt that covered Sesshomaru's chest. Kagome tugged at it impatiently, and an aggravating moment later, she had the desire to shred the angering piece of clothing with nonexistent claws she felt like she should have.

Sesshomaru let out a light growl of approval after reading her thoughts, before pushing her body against the tree and stood in between her legs so they rested against his thighs and straddled his hips. Kagome let out a surprised breath before her body relaxed, and she let out a sigh when Sesshomaru moved his head to give her other breast some attention.

Once she was balancing on his thighs, Sesshomaru's hands returned to his odd fashioned shirt, and she saw his hands tug on a little string that tided one side of the shirt to the other. Once he untied that, he moved to the other side, all while masterfully sucking and tugging on her left breast, as he untied the other side. With a satisfied sigh, Kagome grabbed for the shirt and pushed it away from his chest and over his shoulders. Sesshomaru released the hold his lips had on her breast to pull away and tug the shirt completely off.

Kagome was completely taken aback by how much _larger_ he was without having clothes constantly covering him up. His shoulders were broader and longer than she would have thought they'd be, and his arms were far more muscular than his clothes had lead her to believe.

Letting her eyes devour him slowly, Kagome moved her chocolate gaze from his arms to his chest and enjoyed what she saw. His chest and stomach were both just as toned and muscular as his arms were, and he was so _pale_. She reached out to rest a hand against his left breast as she marveled at the difference in their skin tones. She usually considered herself pale, but compared to Sesshomaru, she was nicely tanned.

She also couldn't ignore how small her hand looked against his chest, which only made her think how massive Sesshomaru really was. He also felt incredibly warm, like his skin was a fur pelt rather than actual skin. _Thanks to his demon side, perhaps?_ Kagome thought as she continued on wondering.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru called out her name.

"Hn?" she asked back absentmindedly.

"Are you done?" he asked back, before glancing at her hand for a moment before returning his golden gaze to her chocolate one. Kagome felt her hair stick up on end in embarrassment (anime style) before a seductive thought struck her and she narrowed her eyes playfully at him before letting her other hand rest against his chest.

"You cannot surprise me, mate. I can read your thoughts, remember? Or have you forgotten?" Sesshomaru purred as Kagome began to slowly run her hands along his chest and down to his stomach, and just as she reached the top of his pants, came right back up again. She enjoyed the slight agitation that spread across Sesshomaru's face as she continued her little cycle of touches, each time teasingly running her fingers along the top of his pants when she'd reach that part of the cycle.

"I know I can't surprise you, but it's all the more enjoyable when you know what's going to happen," Kagome whispered as she moved forward to encircle her arms around his neck and pressed her tightened nipples against his bare chest. His chest was rock hard against her own, and his skin still felt incredibly warm. Sesshomaru's lips quirked up slightly while he let out a low growl before bending his head down and crushing his lips down on her own.

Kagome's eyes widened as she felt another wave of incredible heat and need course through her body. Her legs that were still straddling Sesshomaru's hips wrapped around one another, and with a light tug, pulled their bodies even closer together. Sesshomaru pushed her roughly against the tree she was resting on as Kagome moaned in his mouth from the sheer amount of pleasure she felt from his rough handling.

His kiss deepened as his hands hungrily ran over her breasts and down to her hips before he tugged roughly on her jeans. Kagome let out a helpless cry as she pulled her hands away from his neck and blindly fiddled for the button and zipper that were holding her lower body captive.

When Kagome heard the wondrous sound of a zipper unzipping she greedily pushed down on the jeans. Sesshomaru quickly moved them both off the tree and gently set her down on the soft cushion of the grass at their feet. Kagome took the short break to wiggle out of her jeans and couldn't help the excited grin that spread across her lips at spotting Sesshomaru pulling off his pants as well.

But, unlike her, he wasn't wearing anything underneath those white pants. _And I really wanted to know if he was a boxers or briefs kind of guy,_ Kagome thought, though couldn't complain. _It's one less thing he has to lose,_ she thought with a seductive grin when she saw the knowing look that traveled over Sesshomaru's face when he read her thoughts.

After getting over the slight disappointment of not learning the kind of underwear her soon-to-be lover wore, Kagome focused her attention on his _other_ member. If she hadn't had the power to read his thoughts, and been able to sense his arousal, she'd definitely know _now_ that he wanted her.

His manhood stood fully erect as he stood before her, in all his manly glory. His piercing golden eyes slowly surveyed her body before stopping at the dark blue thong that proved to be the only barrier left for him to get rid of.

"And I will," he added with a small smirk before bending down to position himself above her, his member poking at the side of her hip. Anticipation coursed through her body as Kagome grabbed the sides of Sesshomaru's face before pulling him completely on top of her, and greedily began kissing his mouth.

Sesshomaru moved his hands from the ground beside Kagome, and transitioned his weight to his knees as he let his hands run down the sides of her body. Kagome shivered at his touch and loved that she sensed his approval of the curvature of her natural body. She worked hard to keep in the shape she was in, so it was nice to know her work had paid off. Her thoughts were scattered when she felt Sesshomaru's hand trace the top of her hip before dipping down to run two fingers along the folds of her sex.

Kagome's passion traveled so high that all she saw was white for a split second as Sesshomaru's fingers slowly traced the outward lips of her sex as wetness began to form and coat his fingers. Sesshomaru pulled his lips away from hers for a moment before beginning to trail kisses along her chin and neck as his strokes began to quicken.

Kagome let out a groan when Sesshomaru's lips made it to her chest and he took one nipple in between his lips and dragged what felt like fangs gently across her sensitive skin. Kagome arched her back to push her breast deeper into his mouth and peeked through lower lids at Sesshomaru.

His demonic markings had surfaced, and turned jagged against his skin. The twin magenta stripes on either cheek had turned a dark maroon, and the crescent moon on his forehead had turned a midnight blue. The sight of his demonic form neither scared nor diminished her desires for him as Kagome threw her head back and let out a loud moan when Sesshomaru pushed her underwear to the side and inserted one finger into her vaginal opening.

"You're so tight," Kagome heard Sesshomaru grunt as he pulled his mouth away from her breast to gaze down upon her as he began pumping his finger in and out of her passage. While Kagome always felt embarrassed by other men watching her while they worked her off, having Sesshomaru's eyes on her now only made her feel that much hotter. She arched her back so his finger would hit her sweet spot on the way in, and when it did, Kagome felt her opening get wetter with her rising arousal.

After Sesshomaru was able to effortlessly move his one finger inside her, he added another. Kagome let out a light whine at the delightful feel of herself stretching to accommodate his fingers, and a louder whine when he began pumping the two fingers inside her.

Every now and then he'd run his thumb across her clitoris for added stimulation, and did it ever stimulate, in every sense of the word! Kagome felt like a puddle of goo on the grass underneath her and didn't know how much she could take before she came. Her body was already starting to reach its peak.

"I'm not done with you yet," she heard Sesshomaru growl before she heard rustling and felt the missing body warmth that had been at her side. She was about to open her eyes and see what Sesshomaru was doing, but read his thoughts and, before she could say something back, felt his tongue run deliciously slow along the top of her clitoris.

"Oh, Sesshomaru!" Kagome screamed as his tongue continued to lick her most private of areas. His fingers continued pumping themselves inside her, and as he sucked on the protruding part of her sex, he quickened his fingers' pace. Kagome wanted to cry out again and again as she ran her hands roughly through her hair to try and hold on for just a _little_ longer. It didn't help matters much that she could sense just how much Sesshomaru was enjoying her reaction to his torments as well as to the taste of her.

"Sesshomaru, please!" Kagome cried out as she felt her inner passage coat with even more wetness, along with the added amount on the outside from Sesshomaru's tongue. Sesshomaru continued his torment of her body, and blatantly ignored her cries. Kagome was about to repeat her cry, assuming he hadn't heard her, but then his voice entered her mind, _"What do you desire, mate?"_ his velvety voice asked with a purr inside her head.

"You know what I want!" Kagome cried out impatiently as she untangled her hands from her hair to gently run them down her shoulders before reaching to cup her breasts as her thumbs flicked across her tightened nipples.

"_Say it,"_ she heard Sesshomaru's inner voice purr.

"Sesshomaru, please!" Kagome cried out again as she looked down at him, which ended up being a bad idea since the mere sight of his blood red eyes and jagged markings between her legs only intensified her need to have him inside her.

"_Say it," _he repeated in her mind, his tongue still running along her clitoris as he took the protruding part of her sex in his mouth for another excruciatingly wonderful sucking experience. Kagome shut her eyes tightly as she threw her head back with a whimper before screaming, "Oh...Sesshomaru, please, fuck me!" and the next thing she knew she was on all fours and felt Sesshomaru's hands on her hips as he steadied her.

"I must take your the inuyoukai way first. Then we can mate anyway you'd like," Sesshomaru whispered promisingly in Kagome's ear as she felt the head of his cock run along her dripping sex.

"OK," Kagome whispered dumbly, her mind too fuzzy from desire to really care which way Sesshomaru wanted to have sex. _The plus side about this position is that his cock will-_ Kagome let out a satisfied groan, unable to finish her thought as Sesshomaru slowly pushed in the head of his member into her vaginal opening before spearing himself all the way in.

Her body took a moment to adjust to his size, but after that Kagome felt incredibly good. And just as she had previously thought, the top of his cock had hit her sweet spot on the way in and Kagome felt a tremor of need run through her entire body as she fought to keep herself upright.

Sesshomaru let out a loud growl once he had completely filled her before his hands on her hips tightened and he pulled himself out before pumping back in. After Kagome's opening was large enough that Sesshomaru could move easily within in, he quickened his pace. Kagome was sure that the motions along would make her cum in a few more seconds, but when Sesshomaru rested one clawed hand next to hers and the other moved to rub her clitoris, Kagome almost came undone.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, faster! I – I'm going to cum!" Kagome cried out as she felt herself hit her peak and Sesshomaru quickened his pace to further her pleasure. Though Sesshomaru was moving faster, and as fast as Kagome was sure most men could go, she could sense that he was holding back. His demonic side probably gave him much more stamina than any _human _man could have when it came to sex.

"Sesshomaru, give me your all. I can take it," Kagome pleaded as she felt Sesshomaru's hand fall away from her sex as he balanced himself above her with both hands.

"Your human body won't be able to take it if I move much faster. I don't wish to harm you, mate," Sesshomaru answered.

"I can take it, I want you to cum with me Sesshomaru," Kagome answered huskily without hesitation. She could feel Sesshomaru's control slipping as he pushed off the ground to straighten above her as his clawed hands tightly grabbed onto her hips.

"If it is what you wish," she heard him murmur darkly, but couldn't be sure because the next moment she felt him pull out of her only to spear himself back in, but much faster than he had before. Kagome's body shuddered at the need to stretch so fast to accommodate his size, but the slight pain also gave her that much more pleasure.

Once he was deeply inside her, he pulled his hips back just enough that his head still remained inside her, before pushing himself all the way in once again. After widening her passageway to his liking, he quickened his pace to the speed he had been at before. Kagome turned her head to tell him that he could move faster, but let out a cry instead when he quickened his speed once more.

His hands kept her hips steady as he continued to pump his cock into her, the speed he was hitting far exceeding what any human man could achieve. Kagome's arms gave out from under her, and she let them go limp as she moved to rest her head against the dirt, the new angle of her body making his entry that much more enjoyable for both parties.

She heard Sesshomaru let out a dark growl above her as her walls began to close around his cock, signaling she was close to orgasming. What Kagome thought was fast before was nowhere near the speeds Sesshomaru achieved. She felt his cock harden within her as he quickened his pace to the degree that it was almost impossible for her inner walls to keep up as he growled louder above her.

Kagome's fingers roughly grabbed at the grass below them as she let out another cry as her body gave a shutter and closed tightly over Sesshomaru's cock in her blinding orgasm. Sesshomaru's pace was pulled to a stop by her orgasm as he let out another loud growl before sinking his fangs into her left shoulder. Kagome was sure that the bite hurt, but she couldn't feel it, because the pleasure she felt at the feel of Sesshomaru's stream of cum shooting out into her was enough to block it out.

Sesshomaru's hands fell away from Kagome's hips to rest on the ground as he held himself upright until his cock grew limp and he was able to slowly pull himself out of her. Kagome enjoyed her trip down from the high she had gotten after her climax as she laid herself down on her side. Sesshomaru moved to her side so her back faced his chest as he wound an arm around her waist to bring her in close.

"Well, that was fun," Kagome smiled sheepishly as she tried to turn around in Sesshomaru's embrace to face him, but he pushed on her shoulder to keep her facing away from him. He moved his head closer to her body to gently lap at the bite marks on her shoulder with his tongue. Kagome allowed him to continue as she rested her head on her arm and took the time to admire the scenery around them.

From what she had seen when she first arrived, and presently, this was a very forested area. All she saw for miles were trees to the left, trees to the right, and guess what? Trees in front and in back of her too. After a couple more seconds of looking at all the trees, Kagome felt slightly uncomfortable with the silence between her and Sesshomaru.

_What __**do**_ _you say after sex...it was awesome, we gotta do it again sometime? _Kagome thought as she awkwardly kept looking around, unsure of what to do or say in the silence that surrounded them.

"You're injured," Sesshomaru murmured once he finished lapping at her shoulder, and Kagome turned slightly to stare back at him, "I feel fine. My shoulder isn't hurting," Kagome reassured him.

"I didn't mean your shoulder. Your inner walls are sore," Sesshomaru answered as he pushed himself off the ground. Once Kagome sensed what he wanted to do, she quickly moved to stop him, but winced slightly when she felt a sharp pain in between her legs. She _was_ sore.

"I really enjoyed it," Kagome stated lamely as she held out her hands in front of her chest to stop him, slightly afraid that Sesshomaru thought she hadn't been turned on enough, or didn't particularly enjoy having sex with him.

"My ego is not damaged, mate. I know the pain stems from the fact that you are human and aren't used to the speed a demon is able to reach during sex," Sesshomaru reassured her with that impassive voice of his as he moved to a kneeling position and grabbed her hips as he pulled her close, "which I plan on changing," he added with a cocky smirk, and before Kagome could make a smart remark back, Sesshomaru pulled her hips up to his face.

Kagome felt a little disjointed at being held upside down, but shuddered when she felt Sesshomaru's tongue run along her folds and dip inside to lap at her inner walls.

Kagome let out a sigh as he pumped his tongue slowly in and out of her passage as his saliva seemed to be healing the soreness that had been there moments before. Kagome felt her body heat up as a new wave of pleasure hit her as he pulled out his tongue to lick along her clitoris before returning inside of her.

Kagome let her arms go limp as she relaxed in his hold as he continued to hold her hips up and her legs rested on his shoulders as he darted his tongue in and out of her vaginal opening. When Kagome was sure that Sesshomaru had to be the best lover she had ever had, he amazed her once again.

On the way down her inner passage this time his tongue _extended_ within her, and continued to rid her of the soreness there. Soon his tongue reached the length that his cock had been, and Kagome felt her body begin to flush as he pumped his elongated tongue into her passage. Kagome mewed softly each time Sesshomaru's tongue completely filled her and slowly pulled out before, just as slowly, moving back in.

Kagome knew that Sesshomaru was only doing this to heal the wounds within her, but the feel of his tongue inside her was enough to get her body excited for round two. _No,_ he inner voice sternly said inside her mind.

"But your mate _desires_ it," Kagome teased with a grin, already sensing Sesshomaru's feelings on the matter, and his concrete will slowly beginning to slip.

(Divider)

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru! And Ms. Higurashi too! I'm so glad you two have come back safely," Jaken cried out when he spotted Sesshomaru and Kagome walking out of the tool shed together. He had planned on running to their side, but paused when he noted the couple's expressions.

Kagome had a stupid grin on her face and Sesshomaru looked completely sated and satisfied, like a dog who just got his belly rubbed. So satisfied, that Jaken was sure he had never seen his lord in such a state before. At least, never in the state that he could correctly compare him to the average canine.

"I take it things went well?" he asked as the couple approached him.

"Yep," Kagome chirped as she rose her arms above her head for a good stretch. As her arms reached upward, Jaken couldn't help but stare when he noted the absence of something under the woman's shirt. Her nipples hardened from to the night air, and was noticeably evident as her shirt plastered itself against her chest as she continued to stretch. Jaken couldn't seem to pull his eyes away, even though he knew that he had to before his lord noted his straying eyes.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru growled in warning, his eyes traveling from Jaken's gaze to Kagome's breasts, and then back all knowingly. Jaken jumped slightly before turning towards his lord with a deep bow, though wished he hadn't seen his lord's expression on his head's way to the ground.

His eyes had been blood red, and his markings jagged against the paleness of his face. His hair had even been flowing back and forth around his shoulders. He was in for it now, and if he didn't watch his actions from now on, he'd soon end up dead!

"Oh relax, Sesshomaru. There's no need to be hostile. Thanks for waiting up for us Jaken," Kagome waved Sesshomaru off as she smiled in Jaken's direction before letting her arms fall to her sides and proceeded to walk into the house, Sesshomaru at her heels.

_He's following her like some lovesick puppy, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that they – _he was stopped mid-thought when Kagome and his lord passed him and he smelled the unmistakable musky scent of sex. His large eyes nearly budged out of their sockets at the realization before he whirled on his heels, and was about to spout out about how demons weren't supposed to mate with humans, but a warning side glance from Sesshomaru quickly shut his mouth.

"I just hope they don't think they can sleep around, and expect _me_ to keep Rin from hearing them," Jaken muttered as a horrifying futuristic scene appeared in his mind of Rin catching the couple together and innocently asking him what they were doing. "Gods, save me if that should ever happen," Jaken added, and said a quick prayer to better his chances of that _not_ happening in the near future.

(Divider)

_If anyone is confused about this last part, Sesshomaru cut her bra apart with his claws. Which was why he was able to remove it without Kagome's knowledge. _

_Also, yes Kagome was still wearing her thong during sex. I tried fitting in a scene were she takes it off, but I didn't like how it sounded during the read back. Anyway, hope everyone liked it! :) I think I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself, since I am still a virgin and have no background knowledge on this stuff! I basically worked off stuff I've read in books, on ff, and heard from friends. Well, until next time folks! _

_1st * = was a paraphrase of Jaken's dialogue from episode 104. _

_2nd * = idea was based off a ff story called "The Safety of Submission" by Raven Skye. In it she specified that when an inuyoukai finds their mate with another or pleasuring themselves, that it is a sign that their mate isn't satisfying them enough. And instead of being insulted or depressed by the action, the inuyoukai will do all in their power to rectify the situation and win back their mate's affections. I liked the idea and thought I could use it :) _


	22. A case of deja vu

_Alright, so forewarning, this chapter kind of starts off randomly, but I really had no idea where to start after the last chapter :3. Anyway, onward!_

_Review Corner_

_moonPrincess1989: aw thanks :) glad you liked it!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: thanks for finding those errors! It's so hard to find those when I'm the only one proofing my chapters ^^. Also, I'm so happy that you enjoyed my lemony ideas ;) it's hard to think of stuff when I start writing them because I'm always trying to be different with each story and each couple. _

_XxBeautiful Black RosexX: thanks for the compliment and review! :) Hope you like this chapter too!_

_Crystal jade: I was excited too! Though this one is much more serious than it has been up to this point :/ but it'll be good I promise!_

_Flaming witch of fire: sorry I didn't update sooner :/ but hope the content makes it better!_

_Darksilvercloud: haha yeah I thought using that Jaken bit would be hilarious :) _

_: thanks for the review! :)_

_Tayyaba: thanks for the review! And yes, that green thing was Sesshomaru's poison ^^_

_CutieSOS: thanks! I'll try to keep this story interesting, and hopefully updated more! :) _

_Shiori Yume: haha I actually thought about making Kagome slap her...but it didn't sound right lol. And I know, I am quite dirty ;) _

_Biteme4eturn-t: haha yeah, I wanted to make it a little numerous at the end. _

_Superfan8: aw glad you love my story! Thanks for the review!_

_Bellacullen101123: thanks! Hopefully I'll update more!_

_AshleeSaurus: haha I will ;) Now that the first lemon scene is written, and they are officially mated, much more lemony scenes will happen!_

_Tinky1: thanks so much for your review! :) _

(Divider)

"Welcome back, Kagome!" Inutashio greeted with a wide grin as the raven haired woman was led into his study by one of the hired help. The older woman gave her employer a graceful bow before returning the same respect to Kagome, and quietly leaving the room.

Kagome watched the woman go before turning back to InuTashio with a friendly smile of her own. By the looks of it, InuTashio had been doing some research. Books of all colors, shapes, and sizes were scattered across his desk as well as around the room.

"Were you doing a bit of reading?" Kagome couldn't help but teasingly ask. InuTashio placed the current book he was holding on his desk along with the countless others before giving her a swift nod.

"I've been cooped up in my study for the past couple of days, actually," he answered as he glanced around the mess, grimacing slightly, "my servants won't be happy when they get a look at this," he murmured under his breath.

"Oh," Kagome murmured, feeling slightly awkward at the silence that fell over the two as she shifted her weight back and forth on the balls of her feet for a moment, "what have you been researching?" she finally got out, with which InuTashio smiled to, and she let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"I've been researching an old folk tale I once heard from my – an old friend," Inutashio responded, though his slight pause didn't go unnoticed by Kagome. _So he's lying about his source? Why would he do that?_ Kagome immediately thought suspiciously. She made sure to cover that thought from Sesshomaru, worried that he'd pick up on her thoughts, and realize where she was.

She had told him earlier that day that she'd be going to work, but decided to instead pay InuTashio and Izayoi a visit. Miroku and Sango had been in on it, and promised to finish up the work she had been falling back on. When she thanked them again and again for their generosity, Miroku merely laughed and told her that he was always looking for more things to do on top of his own. Sango agreed, and even said that she would be bored silly sitting at her desk all day, so some extra work would keep her happily busy.

"What's the story?" Kagome asked back, and InuTashio raised his arms above his head in a long stretch before replying with another smile, "a love triangle involving two dog demons and a priestess,"

Kagome froze at that. Two dog demons...and a priestess? It all sounded a little _too_ familiar, but there couldn't already be a story of her with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. She was only twenty-four years old! Hardly old enough to have stories written after her.

She had planned on visiting the two on the basis of getting to know them better, but she didn't know if she wanted to learn about _this_ story. She wondered if he had known that she'd come to visit, and brought up the story on purpose, or it was simply coincidence.

"How does the triangle end?" Kagome asked, though the question came out hollow and quiet. InuTashio frowned at that before he brought his arms back down and his expression turned grave.

"Well, it doesn't end well," he replied, furthering the mystery of the folk tale he spoke of, "it had been passed down for hundred of years to those young lovers who think they were in love in a past life," he added with a half smile.

"Come with me," he stated suddenly, and stood up from his chair. Kagome involuntarily shrank away before realizing what she was doing and straightened. An action she soon regretted when she noted that InuTashio still stood a good head and a half taller than her. His sheer size took Kagome's breath away before she composed herself.

"Wh – Where are we going?" Kagome tried to ask lightheartedly, though hated the fact that she sounded so frightened instead. It was true that she knew InuTashio was Sesshomaru's father, a very friendly man, and a caring person but Kagome still didn't _know _him.

He stared down at her for a moment before a loud, burling laugh passed his lips and he gave her a mischievous grin.

"Come now, I'm not going to _hurt_ you!" he then burst out laughing again, seeming to find it funny she would think such a thing, before continuing, "I do not go after mated women, nor those mated to my own son. Besides, Izayoi would never condone such behavior, and she'd have my large dog-demon head mounted on the dining room wall as proof!"

Kagome couldn't help the little giggle that escaped at the idea, imagining an elegant looking Izayoi sewing a little creation while InuTashio's head stood prompt on the wall above the fireplace.

"There's a smile," Inutashio laughed before giving Kagome a hard pat on the back, "now, I've got a painting I'd like to show you," he added as he led her out of his study and down the hall.

As they walked down the red painted walls, Kagome couldn't help but admire the handiwork that shown throughout the house. Though the walls and floors were all painted red, masterful pieces of golden artwork were elegantly painted atop it.

Kagome glanced from art to beautiful art as she noted all the mythical creatures that decorated the hall. Large Chinese dragons seemed to fly atop the ceiling, while paintings of wolves and other woodland creatures danced across the walls and pictures of large fish swam through the floor. All the artwork was done in gold, and gave the house a very theatrical feel, though based on what little Kagome knew about InuTashio, she did sense that theatrical vibe from him.

He glanced down at her, and seemed to have caught onto the fact that she was admiring the artwork as a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, and all Kagome could do was mutely nod, "this hallway mirrors the walls that were in the castle I used to live in, in the feudal era. Back then, everything depended on power and wealth. The more you had, the more you ruled," he added as his eyelids lowered over his golden eyes, and a darker air seemed to overtake him suddenly.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed forward slightly in worry as she stopped to glance up at him.

"Are you alright?" she asked and InuTashio shook his head lightly, seeming to break whatever spell had been on him, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Forgive me. Memories always have their way of creeping up on me," he added and Kagome nodded, though wondered what memory he had envisioned. The two continued to walk down the hall in silence until InuTashio paused in front of a large (not golden) painting that was hung on the nearby wall.

Kagome stopped to glance up at it as well, and felt her breath catch. In the painting was a _very_ convincing portrait of her linking arms with prideful looking Inuyasha. But it wasn't _really_ them, for the woman that resembled her looked far younger than she was; and Inuyasha was wearing a very old fashioned red warrior kimono, an outfit Kagome had _never_ seen him dressed in before. Kagome pegged her look-alike to be around fifteen or sixteen when this painting was done, but noted that she wore the same high school uniform _she_ had worn in high school.

They also had relatively the same figure (Kagome was even curvier than the already well endowed teenage girl in the painting), the same thick black hair, and the same soft brown eyes. And yet, this woman looked stronger – mightier than she could ever _imagine_ being. There was a sense of intelligence and power that seemed to radiate off the young woman, even though she looked positively delighted and care-free next to the Inuyasha look-alike.

"Is that...me?" Kagome murmured as she glanced up at InuTashio. He stared intently at the photograph – or rather the woman in it – before turning to glance back at her.

"Yes, and no," he replied solemnly, and Kagome merely rose a dark brow in question. A large grin suddenly spread across his face at her expression before he grabbed her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze while he let out a loud laugh.

"Ah, please forgive me for laughing at you. Normally I'm much more reserved than this, but it seems that my son has started rubbing off on you, and I find that quite funny," he replied wholeheartedly, and when he noted Kagome clueless look, he explained, "he always tends to raise _his_ brow at me whenever _he _is curious or confused about something I might have said or done,"

Kagome blushed at that, and wondered if there were any more of Sesshomaru's mannerisms that may have "rubbed off" on her. Oddly, the notion didn't bother her at all. She wondered why.

Normally, she hated it when she began copying the actions of whoever she might have be dating at the time. It made her feel like she was losing a part of herself, and being masterfully manipulated by her lover. Yet, with Sesshomaru, she felt as if she were _growing_ from him rather than being _replaced _by him. _It's a good feeling_, Kagome thought with a smile.

"My love!" the sound of Izayoi's voice filled the hall as the two turned towards the raven haired beauty who made her way down to the duo.

"Izayoi, my dearest, I've missed you," InuTashio stated with a grin as he took her in his arms to place a quick kiss on her pale cheek. She giggled at the attention before giving Kagome a friendly smile as she pushed her mate gently away.

"It's such a surprise to see you here, Kagome. Oh, and in your condition!" Izayoi cooed as she took Kagome's hand in her own. Kagome blinked in surprise before glancing between the two.

"What do you mean?" she asked when her eyes landed on Izayoi once again. It was Izayoi's turn to blink in surprise before she turned towards her mate.

"You didn't comment on it?" she asked, and he shook his head with an apologetic smile in Kagome's direction.

"I didn't want her to be self-conscious of it,"

"Self-conscious of what?" Kagome asked, but the two continued to ignore her.

"Well you can't just let the poor girl remain ignorant forever!" Izayoi exclaimed.

"Ignorant of what?" Kagome asked again, agitated at being ignored.

"Why, of the demonic aura radiating off your skin!" Izayoi pointed out as she pointed at the hand she still held in hers, "you're positively glowing from it! Usually only demons and demon mates do that. You hadn't been glowing like that the first time we met you,"

"Which means you and Sesshomaru completed the mating ritual!" InuTashio exclaimed excitedly as he swiftly took Kagome into a bone crunching bear hug. She let out a little laugh as she patted InuTashio's arm with a whispered "it was nothing! Really!" before he placed her back on the ground.

"Now you're officially part of the family!" Izayoi smiled as she clapped her hands together, "oh how I love adding new additions to our family. Have you two talked about children yet? Neither of my sons have given me any grandchildren, and I'm dieing to be a grandmother!"

"Izayoi honey...I'm sure it's a little too _early_ for such talk," InuTashio butted in before wrapping his arm around her waist, "but if it's the patter of little feet you're looking for, _we_ could always try for another," he added with a wink.

"Oh...I guess I never thought of _that_," Izayoi playfully bantered back before smacking his chest playfully, "you _dog,_ you!"

"Only for you my love, only for you," he teased back as he began to lead his mate away. Kagome thought of reminding InuTashio that he hadn't finished explaining the painting to her, but figured she'd let the lovers be. It warmed her heart to see them still so in love, and so willing to announce their love for one another in public.

She gave the oddly familiar painting one last look before deciding to show herself out.

(Divider)

Kagome had just returned to Sesshomaru's house when she noted that no one seemed to be home. She glanced around the rooms for for any signs of life, and when she found none she walked up the steps towards the guest room Sesshomaru had given her and plopped lazily down on the bed.

"I wonder where everyone is," she murmured as she laid out on her bed, and shut her eyes. She'd just need to get a hold of Sesshomaru telepathically, and find out.

"_Kagome?"_Sesshomaru's voice echoed in her mind after a moment of her calls.

"_Yeah, where is everyone?"_she asked back, and felt the brush of his mind on hers, which felt almost equivalent to an embrace, before he answered.

"_In the feudal era. I am with Jaken and Rin, we are all fine,"_ he assured her stoically.

"_Good to hear,"_ she smiled, _"I think I'll just stay here and sleep,"_

"_Rest then. We will see you when we come back,"_ he promised before she felt his mind pull from hers and she was once again the only voice inside her head. She smiled at that, enjoying the fact that if she had ever heard another's voice in her head before meeting Sesshomaru, she'd think she was nuts.

She let out a sigh then as she began to relax her body, and felt sleep overtake her almost immediately. Though...this time, she was thrown into a dream almost moments after succumbing to the sleep she surely needed.

(Begin dream)

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as her arms stretched out towards her lover. Inuyasha glanced back at her for a moment before his hardened eyes softened as he quickly ran to her side. He made a large leap from his post on a nearby hill to land gracefully at her side, his red kimono sleeves billowing in the wind. In her young mind, he had been a painting in motion.

His dog ears twitched slightly at the sound of footsteps, but he ignored it as his hands wound around Kagome's forearms and he drew her close. Kagome quickly fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist to keep him by her side.

"You don't need to do this alone, Inuyasha. Don't you _ever_ listen to me?" Kagome asked in a whisper as she held in the need to let the tears that she had tried so hard to hold back flow freely onto his fire rat kimono. His hold on her tightened slightly as he rested his cheek atop her raven haired head with a sigh.

"You know I can't let you fight Naraku with me. It'll be too dangerous, and you deserve to live rather than die at _his_ hands," Inuyasha replied softly. Kagome let out a sharp breath before pushing herself roughly away from him.

"So do _you_, Inuyasha!" she cried back, and glowered at the ground when she felt a stray tear betray her feelings on the subject. She angrily wiped the traitorous tear away from her face before wrapping her arms around her waist to give herself what little comfort she could, given the situation.

"This fight has already been predicted by my father's fortune teller, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured gently, as if sensing that telling her that would hurt her, and he was right, "If you and I fight Naraku, we will both die, but if only _I_ fight him...at least you'll live,"

"The future is what _we_ make it, Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed at him, and ignored the next couple of hot tears that streaked down her cheeks, "not something some fortune teller can predict! If you _trusted _me more, if you just gave me a _chance_ –"

"Kagome...shut _up_!" Inuyasha screamed back as his claws fisted into his palms, "don't you get it? I'm trying to _protect_ you the best way I _can_! This is the _only_ way that I can do that for you,"

"But you're not! If you die..." Kagome fought back as she choked on a sob, " if you die – I'll never be able to live without you. You might be protecting me from Naraku, but you're not protecting me from yourself," Kagome added as she glared at the love of her life.

Inuyasha's silver dog ears plastered themselves against his skull at that as his eyes softened, and then saddened, as he stared back at her.

"Kagome...I love you, so _goddamn_ much, that it hurts to see you in so much pain. You have to believe me when I tell you that I'm doing this for _you_. I'm doing this so you'll have a life to live," he explained as he outstretched his arms to accentuate the fact that he was opening himself up to her, "you have a family to go home to, Kagome. I have no one. I am not a full demon, so I cannot bind you to me for eternity. You will die in fifty years, which will only seem like months to me. I can't stand to lose you, knowing that I cannot keep you," he added softly.

"So you'd rather _I_ suffer through the pain?" Kagome bit back bitterly, and turned her head away, unable sum up enough strength to even look at him anymore. She heard Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh before she stiffened at the feel of his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he drew her up against him.

"I know you see it that way, but I _promise_ you that isn't my intent. I just want you to live. I want you to find love again, to have children, and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Earth before you go. I have experienced all of that, and learned to love a person, a woman, who is incredibly intelligent, powerful, and beautiful in _every_ way," he whispered lovingly into her ear as he pressed a light kiss on the side of Kagome's head.

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome murmured in return, her past fury forgotten as she moved around in his arms to face him. His golden eyes softened to such a degree as he stared down at her that Kagome didn't doubt for a moment that his words were true. The sheer love she saw in his eyes were mirrored in her own as she stared back at the half-demon she had come to love.

"Please, I don't want it to end this way," Kagome whispered as she stood on her toes to place a soft kiss against his lips. His arms around her shoulders tightened as he brought her close, his hold almost suffocatingly strong, but Kagome hardly cared. For all she knew, this may be the last of Inuyasha's kisses she'd ever experience in this lifetime.

As he pulled away, his hand came up to gently cup her cheek as he stared intently into her dark brown eyes.

"Know that I love you, Kagome. Know that I will always love you, no matter how much time passes, how many times I am reborn, or how many times I have to find you in the future. Our love is too strong to be ignored, and too strong to be forgotten," he pledged, and then did something she wasn't expecting.

He yelled out his brother's name.

Kagome froze at that, and turned swiftly to the left when she heard the rustling of branches and spotted the familiar white and red crested kimono that belonged to none other than Sesshomaru. The full-blooded dog demon stared at the two for a moment with cold calculating eyes before he trained his sights on Inuyasha.

"If I would have known you were such a lovesick _puppy _for this human girl, I would have not even bothered to come," Sesshomaru stated stoically, and glared Kagome's way when he felt the purification her aura was trying to accomplish at the brush of his demonic aura against her pure one. She glared hotly back at him in return, thoroughly upset that Inuyasha's half-brother had to come in and ruin what little time Kagome had left with him.

"You would've still come," Inuyasha smirked, though Kagome noted that his usual prickly attitude towards his older brother was no where to be found, "you gave me your word, and you've got too much egotistical pride stuck up your ass to go back on it,"

Sesshomaru's eyes merely narrowed in response as he glanced back at his brother, seeming to find Inuyasha's assumption on his character acceptable, while somewhat offensive, as he straightened and the scowl was wiped from his face.

"Do you still intend on fighting Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked, though there was no curiosity in his voice. In fact, he seemed utterly uninterested in whatever Inuyasha decided to do.

"Yes, and as my last dying wish you should do as was promised. Even someone such as you should be able to understand, and abide by that," Inuyasha replied as he reached for the sword, Tetsusaiga, that was hooked on the red sash tied around his kimono. Kagome glanced at her lover in shock, what was he doing?

Inuyasha held his prized sword at arms length towards his brother as the other two stared at it in silence.

"You are going to give me Tetsusaiga? Of what use would a sword that I cannot even wield be to me?" Sesshomaru asked back, his golden eyed glare so intense that Kagome could not even stare back at the demon for more than a moment. Inuyasha merely shrugged in response, but continued to hold the sword away from him.

"You fought me countless times for it, and if anything, it'd be a great wall piece," Inuyasha replied with a small smirk before it fell and was replaced with a frown, "and it's the only thing I have to offer," he added solemnly.

"Hn," Sesshomaru replied stoically as he seemed to think it over before he slowly brought his right arm up and opened his palm, the only acceptance he offered to his younger half-brother.

With a flick of his wrist, Inuyasha tossed his most prized possession over to the dog demon. Sesshomaru's striped wrist bent slightly backwards as he effortlessly caught the sword by its sheath and held it in front of him for a moment before he hooked it next to the other two swords that were attached to his person.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome growled slightly as she cast a glance towards Sesshomaru, "just what _have_ you two planned to do?" she added suspiciously.

"I love you, Kagome," he murmured as he placed another loving kiss against her lips before he took a few steps back, "don't you _ever_ forget that," He didn't even blink as he watched her, as if drinking in her appearance for the last time. The thought sent her stomach wheeling as she stared back at him. _So this is it, _Kagome thought as her eyes saddened and tears welled in her already drenched eyes, _Inuyasha really __**is**_ _going to leave for good._

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out when Inuyasha turned his back on her and began walking away. She reached out an arm for him, and was just about to run and stop him when she felt a demonic presence materialize behind her. Inuyasha glanced back as he broke into a all out run and sent her an apologetic glance before she was suddenly taken hostage by two strong, clawed hands.

She knew even before she turned around that it was Sesshomaru's hands that were holding her back. She knew his aura all too well. She had quickly learned the sense and feel of Sesshomaru's demonic aura throughout her travels with Inuyasha.

But having that knowledge neither helped nor aided her then.

She was rendered helpless with her arms held behind her. She needed them to be in front of her so she could focus her energies into them and then free herself to stop Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!...Inuyasha!... _INUYASHA_!" Kagome continued to scream as she watched Inuyasha's form quickly shrink from her line of vision. She struggled and fought Sesshomaru's hold as she yelled out her lover's name again and again.

"Stop your screaming, girl," she heard Sesshomaru command behind her as his hold tightened on her arms and she had to hold in the need to cry out when his claws drew blood. He was doing this to punish her, to get her to submit, and to just stand by quietly. An action that she was _incapable_ of doing. She would not submit, not when her love was wrenching her heart out and crushing it between his claws.

"Please don't do this, Sesshomaru," Kagome murmured as she held in a sob and continued to pull and tug on her arms to try and free them from his steel grip. He merely scoffed lightly at her petty attempts to free herself.

She glared hotly at the ground as she brought her leg up to try and stomp on his left foot, but he was too quick for her. He seemed to have realized what she had meant to do, and positioned his foot between her legs. So as she brought her leg down, he effortlessly tripped her and she fell painfully to her knees on the gravel ground.

Kagome laid there for what felt like hours until she could no longer feel Inuyasha's presence anymore. The slight bit of hope that had radiated in her chest at the thought that he'd turn around and retrieve her diminished the moment his demonic aura did.

The thought that she'd never see him again, never touch him again, never kiss him again, brought fresh hot tears to her eyes. Sesshomaru's hold on her arms loosened until gravity did the rest of the work and she fell to the ground in a helpless heap of limbs and wrinkled clothes.

"Get up," Sesshomaru's emotionless voice ordered after a pause. Kagome turned her head slightly to look up at him and was met with twin pools of golden ice. His glare was demeaning, torturous, and painful. Kagome shut her eyes as anger began to boil inside her. It was _he_ who had held her back, _he _who had prevented her from possibly stopping Inuyasha from going on alone to fight Naraku.

Filled with a sudden rage, Kagome quickly jumped to her feet as she turned to glare back at him. She saw his eyes widen slightly in surprise at her sudden motion, and the aggressive stance she suddenly took after looking so helpless on the ground. She could feel her priestess powers crackle and snap around her as her rage began to build and she took a few hasty steps towards Sesshomaru.

"Why...?" she asked angrily as she brought her palms up to face his chest. Bright pink aura began to collect in each palm as she glared at the dog demon. He would pay for her misery...no...he would _suffer_ for it.

She didn't care that she had never wanted to kill someone so badly before, didn't care that it wasn't in her nature to _hate_ so strongly. But he had prevented her eternal happiness, and she hated the loneliness and emptiness she felt now that she knew Inuyasha was gone forever. Sesshomaru chose not to answer her as his stoic mask quickly replaced his surprise.

"I'll purify you where you stand!" Kagome promised darkly as she began to swing her arms widely at him. Tears glistened in her eyes and down her cheeks as she let out a choked sob every few breathes as memories of a happier time, a better time, flooded her brain. Memories of their adventures, their plans for children, Inuyasha's laugh, and his love.

Sesshomaru dodged every one of her attacks with ease, her human speed no match for his demonic one. But she supposed, with a grim inward smile, that it was due to the fact that she was distracted as well. After another wild left hook, Sesshomaru quickly took an inward step and lashed out a hand to grab hold of her neck.

Kagome gasped as she was instantly lifted off the ground, and made to dangle above it by Sesshomaru's cruel hand.

"I should kill you for what you tried to do to me, human," Sesshomaru threatened icily as he watched her closely, seeming to be scouting for fear in the pools of her dark brown eyes. A sudden thought lit up in her mind as she almost smiled in delight. If he did kill her...than she would be able to be with Inuyasha again, in the afterlife.

"Do it," she urged, and noted the slight surprise that brightened the demon's typical dark auric eyes. He seemed to consider it for a moment before his grip on her neck loosened and she fell to the ground with a painful thud.

"While killing you _does_ sound quite enjoyable, I believe you'd suffer more if I let you live," he answered coldly before turning slightly away, but didn't let her out of his sight. _With good reason,_ Kagome thought, _for I'd surely kill him the moment he turned his back on __**me**_.

"Now come," he ordered as he pointed one clawed finger at the ground beside him.

"What?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, though glared up at him a moment later, "what makes you think I want to go with _you_?"

He glanced down at her like she was an insect before materializing in front of her, and roughly taking her jaw captive in his powerful claws.

"Never question me, girl," he growled in warning, "while Inuyasha may have allowed it, I am not your _puppy_ Inuyasha, and will not be treated as such. I do not like these arrangements either, but Inuyasha knew me too well, and convinced me to give my word that I would watch over you until you passed into the afterlife. As a full fledged dog demon I, Sesshomaru, can never go back on my word, tricked or not," and with that, withdrew his claws just as roughly as he had gripped her.

"I don't care about your _reputation_, Sesshomaru. There's no way in hell I'm going with the demon that just allowed my love to run to his death while he held me back," Kagome defied, even though her jaw was still pulsing from the pain his iron grip had just inflicted.

"You have no choice," Sesshomaru replied, "I will not _allow _you to go anywhere past my castle walls for the remainder of your days. Inuyasha merely told me to watch over you, not to grant your every wish,"

"You'll have to kill me first," Kagome threatened back bitterly. He glanced back at her with those emotionless eyes of his before taking a few slow steps towards her, seemingly to _scare _her into submitting to him. Too bad it wouldn't work. Kagome stood her ground as she lifted her chin up defiantly in response to his little ploy of power.

His eyes narrowed at her, and he seemed to be (yet again) annoyed at her open defiance to his command. Without a word he pulled on the mokomoko that rested on his right shoulder. The fluffy appendage twirled off his shoulder before lashing out towards her. Kagome let out a scream of surprise as it wound around her body and held her tightly captive in it's warm grasp. She squirmed and kicked at it as it lifted her off the ground, and rendered her completely helpless.

"This isn't fair!" Kagome yelled as she glared daggers at Sesshomaru, who merely turned his back on her as his mokomoko kept her floating above the ground as he walked. Kagome gathered her priestess power in her palms once again as she brought it up to the mokomoko to try and purify it, but her powers did nothing to the strange fluffy object.

"My mokomoko is not a demon, nor a part of me, so you will be unable to purify it," Sesshomaru stated in his usual matter-of-fact tone.

"Are you too afraid to touch me?" Kagome couldn't help but tease with a smug smirk, though regretted it later when his mokomoko tightened its hold around her body and she winced at the sharp pain.

"Hardly," he replied stoically, "I used my mokomoko because _I_ didn't want to have to touch your filthy blooded _human_ body again,"

The two traveled in silence after that, neither wanting to deal with the other.

As they continued on, Kagome was left to her own thoughts. She began to feel completely hollow, and oh so alone. Her love had run to his death and left her; alive, but alone. Left her to suffer the pain of his death alone.

She could feel her heart breaking again and again as she remained tangled inside Sesshomaru's mokomoko. She did not wish to face how ever many lonely years she'd be forced to live by Sesshomaru's cruel hand. With her luck, he'd probably resurrect her with Tenseiga after she died just to watch her sweet lonely misery a little bit longer for his own sick amusement.

What would she do without her lover, her best friend...her Inuyasha?

(Divider)

Kagome awoke with a start as a wave of fresh tears traveled down her face. Her fingers then slowly came up to touch her tear streaked cheeks, and she glanced at the liquid that now coated her fingertips.

She let out a shaky breath as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The dream had been so real, and so powerful that it hurt. She then ran the backs of her palms across her face to get rid of the unsightly tears that refused to stop running from her eyes.

"Kagome," the sound of Sesshomaru's baritone voice caused Kagome to squeak in fear before her eyes shot up to find Sesshomaru's form in the darkness. His golden eyes were hardened to such a degree that she was instantly reminded of the Sesshomaru she had seen in her dream. She hadn't thought it had been him, since the man had looked more like a younger version of the Sesshomaru she knew, but somehow in her dream she had _known_ it was him.

She had also known he had been a demon, and had admitted to seeing him multiple times. Could InuTashio's painting have caused her imagination to run wild, and she had merely _created _a scene that her look-alike could have possibly lived through?

_Then why was it so real? _She asked herself. Why could she feel what that woman felt, and why did everything feel like she was experiencing it rather than just watching a woman morn for her lover?

"Calm yourself," Sesshomaru commanded softly before he entered the room, and Kagome felt the stress slowly ease from her body when he came to sit beside her on the bed. Just having him close to her settled the nerves that seemed to be rapidly bouncing around the walls of her brain.

"Did you see what I just saw?" Kagome asked, and Sesshomaru gave her a slow nod, "did you feel the emotions my look-alike did?" she added, and Sesshomaru paused at that.

"Look-alike?" he asked back gruffly, "that wasn't a look-alike, Kagome. That was you, in a past life,"

(Divider)

_Dun Dun DUN! Haha :P I love leaving cliffhangers. Hope this was a very interesting and well awaited for chapter! I WILL update much sooner than I have, I promise! Also I have a new Kag/Sessh story out if anyone's interested! :D _

_Playlist for this chapter (new thing, I know :D): Whitney Houston = I will always love you, Annie Lllenox = Why, and Taylor Dayne = Love will lead you back. _


	23. A deeper look into Rin's past

_Fast update! Woo! :) though kind of a boring chapter compared to the before it, but it's a little fluffy to bring back the balance! Enjoy!_

_Review Corner_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: aww :( I'm sorry if you didn't like it. I know it was kind of random, but to be honest I had writer's block for the longest time until these feudal era ideas popped in my head and really seemed to work. I'm sure that it'll make sense later, I promise it'll get better! Thanks for the review, as always!_

_Moonprincess1989: aww glad you liked it :) was worried about the whole Inuyasha love fest, but it'll make sense later! Thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: glad you liked it :) it took me a while to post it because I kept checking and rechecking it lol. Much more dream sequences to come! Hope you like this one too! Thanks for the review! :) _

_Crystal jade2: yup! It'll make a lot more sense the more I go into it, I promise! Thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: I'm sorry that I took so long :( but like I told Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf, I was hit with writer's block for a while until these dream sequences came to me and seemed to fit really well :) It'll all make sense the further I go into it! Thanks for the review! _

(Divider)

"My past...life?" Kagome asked back in confusion. Surely this was some kind of joke. How could she have been that girl in that painting, and be herself now? Sesshomaru didn't reply at first, but Kagome noted the slight clench of his jaw, as if answering her question pained him.

"Yes," he replied after a pause, "you were alive during the time of the feudal era in Japan, though you were not born there. You were a time traveler, and had traveled back from your time to.._that _time. I know of these things because I was alive during it all. It was my past self in the dream you just had,"

"It was?" Kagome asked as she stared at the ground, "I never knew you to be so cruel, even though the entire fifth floor _is_ deathly frightened of you,"

"I was young and foolish then," he replied as he glanced back at her, and Kagome noted, as she stared back into his eyes, that they were so similar and yet so different from the younger version she had seen in her dream.

He looked around twenty-six now, but in her dream she would've pegged him to be around nineteen years old. Of course, he was over hundreds of years old as a demon, but his humanoid form hardly changed during the huge time gap.

"You traveled through a well to get there. It was because of your priestess powers that such a feat was possible," Sesshomaru explained in his usual stoic tone, and Kagome wondered why she had felt so different about the sound of his voice in her dream. Why had she so strongly despised the voice that she loved so dearly now?

Sesshomaru's lips quirked up in a slight smirk at that, seeming to have read her thoughts, as he turned towards her and gently cupped his right hand under her chin.

"I'm glad my voice pleases you," he murmured as Kagome smiled up at him.

"I can't help it, it's sexy," she shrugged with a grin before moving her head forward to plant a quick kiss on his lips. She let out a surprised breath at the passion she felt flow through her the moment their lips touched, and quickly deepened the kiss with the flick of her tongue.

Something felt different, but in a _deliciously_ good way. She seemed to sense so much more than she had ever thought she could. It was as if the slight smacking sound they made with their lips was just as thrilling as the touch of their skin.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at that, but her thoughts were instantly forgotten the moment she felt Sesshomaru's large hands come up to rub along her sides. They ran up from her waist to brush against the sides of her breasts before slowly making their way down to her hips. She shuddered against him as she felt her increase in passionate need as well as his. She could feel just how much he wanted her, as she was sure he could feel how much she wanted _him_.

The dream was quickly forgotten as the two became enveloped in each others' bodies. They didn't have sex, and she knew that Sesshomaru wasn't trying to push them in that direction. They merely caressed, touched, and kissed each other; the intimacy just as good, if not better, than sex itself.

It was what she needed after such a horrible experience, and she enjoyed that Sesshomaru was more than happy to just hold her. He was nothing like the Sesshomaru she had seen in her dream, and she wondered what had changed that Sesshomaru into the one now lying in her arms.

(Divider)

"Well hello there Sesshomaru!" InuTashio greeted his son as the dog demon entered his father's domain. The two demons walked towards InuTashio's study, neither speaking to the other after their initial greeting. Sesshomaru had noticed the slow change in his father since his decision to live in this realm rather than the feudal era. He also knew that for hundreds of years, he couldn't forgive his father for leaving his mother and him alone in that world, as well as dumping all his ruling responsibilities on his mother.

_It was all for Izayoi, his human woman, _Sesshomaru thought as they continued down the familiar hallway that matched InuTashio's old kingdom. The abominable truth had been horrible and embarrassing to admit to the demon court that resided in the feudal era, but they had gotten through it.

Sesshomaru had _hated_ his father then. Despised the demon for not only abandoning them, but also leaving his powerful demon mother for a weak, defenseless human. It had been one of the major reasons he had despised humans for centuries. It was only after Rin's selfless act of food offering in the feudal era that he began to change; and it was Kagome's main role in his life back then that had changed his thoughts on humans all together.

The two dog demons stopped walking when Sesshomaru noted that InuTashio had been distracted by something, and had stopped. He turned towards him before following his gaze to spot the Tetsusaiga idly hanging on a wall post.

"You know, I haven't taken that down since you brought it to me. It reminds me of all the mistakes I have made in my life," InuTashio murmured as Sesshomaru noted his golden eyes soften as he continued to gaze up at the sword.

"It seems that it's only Inuyasha that ever resides in your thoughts," Sesshomaru observed, his voice remaining shockingly neutral despite the anger that was boiling inside him. Inuyasha had always been the favored child. Favored in both love from his parents, as well as inheriting his father's powerful weapons. Both traits that should have been rightfully _his_ as the elder sibling.

"That isn't true," InuTashio stated solemnly even as a soft smile graced his lips, "you're always there too. I just assumed that you would not care about such things, especially after being raised by your mother. She's one tough demon, I'll give her that much," InuTashio's added with a gruff laugh.

"It's just that...every time I think about Inuyasha, the first one that is, I feel like I _caused_ his death. It was my fault for allowing Izayoi and Inuyasha to live in the feudal era when there was a much safer, alternative realm that they could've lived in," InuTashio explained, and then let out a humorless laugh, "I still remember that day, three hundred years ago, when you came to this world with the Tetsusaiga. I had learned of Izayoi's death, but hearing that Inuyasha had died as well was a hard truth to swallow,"

"You found Izayoi in the future, and Inuyasha was reincarnated. What is there for you to morn over?" Sesshomaru asked back coldly. InuTashio turned towards him before grabbing his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze.

"You know the pain, all too well I'm afraid," he replied as his eyes softened towards his son, "and I just count myself lucky in finding Izayoi in the future, and that our first child happened to be the reincarnation of Inuyasha,"

"Are they the same as you remember?" Sesshomaru asked curiously, and InuTashio altered his gaze before lightly shaking his head.

"Not entirely. But they are still very similar, and the parts that I loved most about them are still there. I can live with a little change so long as I'm with them," he replied truthfully, "I still feel that both Rin and Kagome are reincarnates of the girls that _you_ loved five hundred years ago, even if it's painful to accept that their souls followed you all the way from the feudal era,"

"Kagome had a dream last night. A dream about her past life, and about the last day she saw Inuyasha in the feudal era," Sesshomaru stated, hoping to distract InuTashio enough that he wouldn't need to answer what he had just concluded about Kagome and Rin. Though it was true that their names were the same as the ones he had known over five hundred years ago, he was still skeptical.

"She did?" InuTashio asked in surprise, "well _this_ was what I was waiting to hear! It seems that she _is_ the Kagome reincarnate! By gods, but that folk tale _was_ true then,"

"Of course it's true," Sesshomaru growled, "_I_ was there,"

"I know, but this is the proof you _need_, Sesshomaru! How would the Kagome now know what the Kagome then knew?" InuTashio asked logically.

"How do I know that her dream wasn't simply a fluke?" Sesshomaru asked back.

"Hmm...I suppose wait and see if she dreams of anything else. I talked with Kikyo the other day, the girl that's still after Inuyasha, and she told me that she's been having odd dreams as well. When I showed her a couple of the paintings that were done in Kagome and Inuyasha's honor, she told me that she had dreamed posing for them," InuTashio replied.

"Is Kikyo the other half, then?" Sesshomaru asked, and InuTashio shrugged.

"It seems that way, but she has said that Inuyasha hasn't talked to her since the break up. So, she hasn't told him yet, and he hasn't told me of any odd dreams of himself in the feudal era," InuTashio responded.

"Hn," Sesshomaru stated.

"Was that all you wanted to know?" InuTashio asked back curiously, "because I've noted that neither Kagome nor Rin are with you. Are the girls home, perhaps?"

"They're still asleep," Sesshomaru replied, "I did not want Kagome to know that I'm worried over what she has dreamed, and I do not want her to suffer more because of it,"

"Are you worried she'll despise you because of how you acted in the past?" InuTashio laughed, "because going off the folklore, she tamed you pretty quick. A feat that I would have assumed to be nearly impossible," he added with a playful grin.

"Laugh all you want. I lost her once, and I'm not willing, nor able, to lose her again," Sesshomaru replied stoically, but he was sure his father didn't miss the slight downturn of his eyes as well as the sad tint that darkened those golden depths.

(Divider)

Kagome let out a loud, happy moan as she sat up in her bed and stretched. She had slept _very_ nicely after Sesshomaru had fallen asleep beside her. _Speaking of Sesshomaru,_ she thought with a slight pout, _where was he?_

"Kagome!" Rin's happy voice called into the halls, and Kagome couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She hadn't seen Rin in about twenty-four hours, and she had already missed the girl terribly.

"In here, Rin!" she yelled back as she cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. She heard the little patter of feet accompanied by happy giggles as the girl popped her head in.

"Did you sleep well, Kagome?" Rin asked as Kagome beckoned her in. Rin didn't waste a moment as she ran in and jumped up on the bed to sit beside her.

"I slept very well last night, thank you for asking," Kagome smiled back as Rin gave her a little nod before kicking her legs back and forth on the bed for a moment before giving Kagome a quizzical look.

"Hey, Kagome?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" Kagome asked back, giving the girl a smile when she noted her unease as the hands resting on her thighs balled into tense fists.

"D – Do you think that we could go out today?" she asked, and Kagome's smile faltered slightly when she noted the fear and sadness that seemed to be suddenly radiating off the girl.

"Of course, Rin," she replied softly as she rubbed the little girl's back soothingly, "is something wrong?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No...I just want to go get some things," she added as Kagome nodded before her smile returned.

"Alright, just let me get changed, and we'll go. Today is Saturday, so there isn't anything that I need to do," Kagome offered as Rin's grin returned. Kagome couldn't help but note that she liked Rin happy, and something about it reminded her of someone else she knew. Strangely, she couldn't think of _who_ it was that resembled Rin's happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Alright! I love you, Kagome," Rin stated, her excited grin still in place.

"Love you too, Rin," Kagome smiled in return before ruffling the girl's hair. As Rin jumped down and scurried off to her room to change, Kagome couldn't help but feel puzzled at the odd feeling of deja vu she felt at hearing Rin tell her she loved her.

She had heard the little girl tell her that before, but something about the way they were sitting on the bed, and maybe the lighting of the room, made her feel like they had done the same exact thing sometime before. But how? And when?

Kagome shook her head to clear her thoughts, and jumped off the bed to hurry and get changed. She wouldn't force Rin to wait for her!

(Divider)

The girls had finally convinced Jaken to be their chauffeur after a long process of begging. The little demon made them promise to make it up to him if he ever needed their help should he anger Sesshomaru in any way in the near future; and going off what Kagome had heard from Rin, that happened a lot.

"Do you want to go to the florist, and then the cemetery, Rin?" Jaken asked, seeming to already know what the little girl had planned. Rin gave him a bashful nod before the two climbed into the car while Jaken hopped into the driver's seat of the black limo.

Kagome noted, with a slight frown, that the saddened expression had returned in Rin's eyes as she stared out the window at the variety of cars passing by. The drive continued in silence, and it felt odd to Kagome; already so used to the girl's constant chatter.

"What kind of flowers are you going to get, Rin?" Kagome asked, hoping to pipe up the girl's natural care-free personality.

"Lilies. They were my mom's favorite," Rin murmured in response, not glancing at Kagome as they fell into silence once more. Kagome looked away as her eyelids lowered, and she was hit with the reality that Rin had lost her whole family at a very young, tender age. Kagome supposed that, for a while, she had actually gotten so used to seeing Rin and Sesshomaru together that she depicted them as blood related.

"Kagome, do you love my daddy?" Rin asked suddenly as she finally turned to look up at her. Kagome was so taken aback by her question that she could only blink at Rin for a moment.

"Yes. I do," Kagome answered as her eyes softened when she saw Rin's shoulders visibly relax as a small smile pulled up on the ends of the girl's lips.

"I'm glad. Sesshomaru is a good daddy, and even though he isn't my real father...I'm still happy to be with him," Rin replied as she turned towards the window once more as she slowly ran her index finger along the leather car door.

"You love him too, don't you, Rin?" Kagome asked with a soft smile as Rin nodded.

"He always watches over me, and makes me feel...safe," Rin admitted, "I had nightmares for weeks about my house burning to the ground, and of all the family I had lost. I saw all the sorrow and misery in their faces each and every night, and I'd wake up crying and upset. When I told my daddy about it, he placed his office chair next to my bed, and stayed with me until they stopped. He never said anything or did anything but work, but I was happy anyway. I was happy that he _wanted_ to take away my fears, even though I didn't ask him to," she explained as Kagome couldn't help but melt as she saw the admiration and love that shined in the girl's dark brown eyes.

The car suddenly stopped and Kagome turned to look and felt her mouth fall open when she read the sign. It read "Sango's flower shop," Kagome had never known that her friend at work also owned a flower shop.

The two climbed out of the car before Rin rushed into the shop with a giggle and a skip to her step. Kagome laughed lightly at Rin's obvious enthusiasm, and noted that it wasn't hard to love the little girl. She couldn't blame Sesshomaru for falling in love with her, and in the end, adopting her. Kagome was positive that she would've done the same.

"Hurry up, Kagome!" Rin called happily as she held the shop door wide open while shifting her weight from her heels to the balls of her feet, and then back impatiently.

"Whatever you say," Kagome laughed as she jogged over to the little girl and walked inside the store, with Rin hurrying up behind her.

Her laughter died down slightly as she took the time to walk around, and was taken aback by the beautiful arrangement of flowers that decorated the store. Flowers of all types, shapes, and tints bathed the shop in a cluster of various, beautiful shades of color.

"This place is beautiful," Kagome murmured as she glanced around the little shop. Rin nodded up at her before running towards the right. Kagome watched as Rin stuck her arms out like airplane wings as she hurried around a tight corner that was covered with flowers and various plants. Kagome let out a light laugh as she hurried after the little girl, and had just turned the corner Rin had when she spotted Sango handing Rin a large bouquet of lilies.

"Hello, my best customer," Kagome heard Sango say as she smiled down at the little girl.

"Sango!" Kagome called to the other woman as Sango turned around in surprise, "I had no idea you owned a flower shop," Kagome added with a smile, and Sango returned it before making her way over to her.

"It's just a little shop that I inherited from my father. I take care of it during the weekend, and my little brother watches it during the week while I work at InuTashio Corp.," Sango explained.

"I didn't know you had a little brother either," Kagome answered, "I guess there's a lot I still don't know about you, Sango,"

"Don't worry about it," Sango replied with a laugh, "you'll learn soon enough," she added with a wink before glancing down when Rin tugged on her pant leg.

"Do you need my Daddy's card?" Rin asked as Sango shook her head with a smile.

"I have a tab set up for you guys, so no worries," Sango replied with a friendly smile.

"We have to go now," Rin informed her as she walked over to Kagome, and took the older woman's hand in her own, "it was nice seeing you, Sango," she added sweetly as the florist smiled back, and waved goodbye as the girls left the store.

Once Kagome and Rin climbed back into the limo, Rin told Jaken to head towards the cemetery. Kagome's bright mood faltered slightly at that, and wondered if Rin's family's remains had been buried there. Or could there be someone else there that she wanted to see?

Kagome couldn't help the worried expression that appeared on her face as she wondered how Rin would take the visit. Rin had spoken so gravely about her family, and her mother's favorite flowers before. Kagome's eyes lowered as she feared over Rin's reaction to being in such a sorrowful place.

The flower shop ended up being fairly close to the cemetery, and it only took about five minutes to get there as Jaken dropped off the girls.

"Ill drive around the block for awhile, and then come back," Jaken promised as he drove off once the girl's were both standing on the curb. Rin gave him a smile in return before nodding and waving an enthusiastic goodbye to the little demon before turning to glance up at the entrance gate of the cemetery.

"Do you come here often?" Kagome asked, though regretted it a second later when she saw the sad tint that appeared in the girl's eyes at her question.

"Not a lot. I try to come at least once a month, but Jaken tends to complain all the time that I go too often. He says that I'll never be able to move on if I constantly go," Rin murmured, "but I can't help _wanting_ to come. They were my family, and I love them,"

"You should be able to come as much as you want," Kagome agreed solemnly, "I promise that I'll drive you here if Jaken ever complains again, alright?" she added, and Rin nodded happily in return.

"Thank you, Kagome," she perked up before grabbing Kagome's hand and leading her down the gravel road of the cemetery. Kagome jogged to keep up with the little girl as she glanced this way and that, marveling at all the tombstones that decorated the gloomy place.

Rin stopped her running about half a mile in, and Kagome paused her searching of the cemetery to glance down at the tombstone that Rin knelt down in front of. "Azuma Takahashi," the tombstone read, and Kagome's eyes saddened as she watched Rin take out a couple of lilies from her bouquet, and replace the dead flowers with the new ones.

Rin then moved onto the next tombstone, and then to the next, and continued on until seven graves were decorated with a couple of brand new purple lilies. Kagome was proud, and slightly surprised, at how reserved Rin seemed to be as she ran her fingers across the graves as she made her way back over to her side.

"I'm sure your family will be very happy to see that you came with flowers, Rin," Kagome offered as Rin plopped down next to her feet. Kagome knelt down beside her as she wrapped an arm around the little girl's shoulders and tugged her close.

"I'm really lucky that they were buried at all," Rin murmured as she lowered her head to cover her eyes with her bangs, "no one was able to find any remains through all the ash after the house burned down. The officials were ready to call off the search and build something over it, but Sesshomaru stopped them. When I told him about what happened, he bought the land. He also used his nose to scent out my family's remains, and gathered as much of their ashes as he could, and had them properly buried. Without Sesshomaru, my family wouldn't have ever been able to rest in peace," Rin explained as tears pricked the sides of her eyes.

"I'm so grateful for everything he's done for me. Sometimes, I don't think I deserve it," she added in a pained whisper as she choked out a soft sob. Kagome's arm tightened around her shoulder when she felt the girl begin to shake, and pulled her closer.

"You deserve all of it, Rin," she assured her, "you're a wonderful girl, and you went through a hard past. Shouldn't everyone who's suffered as you have deserve to be happy?"

"I guess," Rin replied as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, "but I can't _give_ anything back to him. He does all of this stuff for me, and asks for nothing in return. How will I ever repay him?" Rin asked as she turned into Kagome's embrace, and rested the side of her head against Kagome's shoulder.

"I'm sure he loves you as much as you love him, Rin," Kagome soothed, "and your love alone is enough to pay him back for everything he's done for you," Rin only nodded against her shirt in response, but Kagome noted that her sobs had stopped as well as her casual shivers.

"I'm happy you came with me today, Kagome," Rin murmured as she turned further in her embrace before wrapping her arms around Kagome's neck. Kagome wrapped one arm around Rin's waist as she placed her other hand against the back of the little girl's head.

"Anything for you," she whispered back, "let's head back now. I'm sure Jaken is waiting for us," Kagome added as she picked Rin up and held her against her body as she began walking back to the exit. As she walked, she felt Rin's body begin to relax, and by the time she got to the limo, she noted with a smile that Rin had fallen asleep in her arms.

(Divider)

_Soo...kinda sad and kinda cute, right? More stuff to happen soon, I promise! Probably another dream sequence too!_

_P.S. If you're confused about what Sesshomaru and Inutashio were talking about, good, because you're supposed to be! XD. All will be explained in time! _

_Play list for this chapter: "Rinse" by Vanessa Carlton. _


	24. There's nothing like a parade!

_Ok, well I'm sorry I took a bit longer with this chapter. I just got my wisdom teeth removed and was bed-ridden for a week, wallowing in pain. But I am feeling much better now, and am back on the writer train! _

_Review Corner_

_PinkSlytherin: yup, yup! :D there is a reason for this, which will be explained later. Thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: Hope that my PM explained a few things for you! :D If you're still confused please ask me and I'll do my best to help! And yes, I do tend to make little Rin sound grown up, which happens again in this chapter XD I'm sorry! Thanks for the review!_

_Crystal jade2: Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and review!_

_XxBeautiful Black RosexX: Glad you liked it! Thanks for your review!_

_Minako-Akemi: I know, right? But Rin's strong, and she'll pull through! ;) Thanks for your review!_

_Inugirl294: Thanks for your love, enthusiasm, and review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: thank you so much for pointing out my grammar mistakes! I cannot thank you enough for looking out for this story! :D You're the best! I'm also happy that you didn't dislike the chapter, and happy that you're on board for the direction that it's heading. I promise you'll love it! Thanks for your review!_

_Bellacullen101123: thanks so much for your wonderful review!_

(Divider - begin dream)

Kagome had felt the surge of time pass as she remained trapped inside Sesshomaru's mokomoko. He had decided to fly to his castle rather than walk, a decision Kagome could only assume was due to _her_ presence. He had already voiced (multiple times) that he didn't want to touch unworthy, _human_ flesh any more than he needed to, and that flying would certainly solve such a problem.

Kagome let out a light sigh as she squirmed to get a little more comfortable, and wondered what had caused Sesshomaru's hatred of humans in the first place. He had never explained when, or even _why_ he hated them, just that he did.

_Maybe he's always been this way, _Kagome thought as she turned her head slightly downward to glance down at her capture. Truth be told, she had never seen him travel with anyone other than Jaken. Kagome's face scrunched up in disgust at the thought of having such an annoying companion trailing after her for hundreds of years, and couldn't blame Sesshomaru for his moodiness around others. She was sure she'd be pretty much the same if she were in his place.

_But then...there's also Rin,_ Kagome thought as her eyes widened slightly at the realization. _That_ was a relationship that had never been rightfully explained. If Sesshomaru _truly_ hated all humans, than why did he allow Rin to trail after him like she did?

Kagome continued to wonder as she let out another sigh, and gave out a light squeak in surprise a second later when she felt mokomoko's hold tighten around her.

"Cease your incessant sighing, human," Sesshomaru ordered, keeping his calm gaze trained on the path of clouds ahead of them.

"I'll sigh if I want to, thank you very much," Kagome huffed in return, though let out a strained groan as his mokomoko coiled even tighter around her. If he applied any more force – he'd surely crush her!

"You and I would both benefit greatly if you just kept your mouth shut, priestess," Sesshomaru advised as his body suddenly began to descend towards the ground. Kagome gave him another rebellious huff before turning startled brown eyes towards a most wondrous sight.

A large castle came into view that seemed to have almost grown from the ground itself. Plants of all shapes and sizes wound themselves around the castle walls, as if put there to camouflage the gray stone walls within the plush, winding forest that surrounded it. The multiple gray rising towers stood straight and tall, each the same length as the one a mere few feet from the other. Each tower also had a dark brown top that matched the bark of the large trees that encircled the castle.

As they drew closer, Kagome spotted with widened eyes, that there were _people_ jumping around and on top of the castle at a very fast rate. From where they were, they resembled mere specks of dust. But as they neared, Kagome could make out the various warrior outfits and armor that decorated the bodies of those unknown beings.

_Those are guards, guards of the castle_! Kagome came to realize with surprise as she noted that the few individuals closest to them had stopped their incessant running to sniff the air, and turn their heads this way and that, as if they were searching for something. It was that action alone that gave away their demonic heritage to Kagome, since their bodies were still too far for her to be able to sense their demonic auras easily.

_Not to mention that I can't seem to sense anything outside of Sesshomaru's aura_, Kagome thought as she sent the dog demon an annoyed glare; unhappy that his powerful demonic energies were clogging up her priestess abilities. But like always...he simply ignored her.

As Sesshomaru's boots landed gracefully on the ground, a group of guards appeared before the enormous doorway that he stood in front of. Its doors were about twenty or so feet in length (Kagome could only estimate) and made of wood. Something about the girth of the doors seemed different, though. Even though it _looked_ like ordinary wood, it seemed to resemble stone in its strength.

"Lord Sesshomaru," one guard greeted solemnly as he gave the dog demon a deep bow before returning to his full height. From what Kagome could see over the fuzz of mokomoko, he looked like an ordinary man. He held no demonic markings, nor strange features such as odd colored hair or eyes. He had shoulder length brown hair that was swept up in a low ponytail with clipped bangs that hung over his dark brown eyes.

"Hn," Sesshomaru stated in a seemingly cold and uninterested manner, Kagome kept note with a slight furrow of her ebony brows.

"Rin has also faired well in your absence, my lord," a female's voice proclaimed as a woman took a step towards him, and out of the mixed crowd of demons and humans. Her long hair that cascaded down her shoulders and back was like the ocean in both texture and tone, and her eyes were a lighter shade of the same color. Her exotic features alone told Kagome that _this_ guard, hands down, was a demon.

"Has she slept at all?" Sesshomaru voiced quietly, and Kagome noted (with a little wonder) the surprise that crossed over the guards' faces. It seemed that they were all utterly shocked. Both from the sound of their lord's voice as well as by his question.

"Y – Yes, my lord," the man that had greeted Sesshomaru replied shyly. Sesshomaru gave the guard a curt nod before he waved them off to continue their duties elsewhere. The guards gave him a swift bow of respect before they disappeared altogether.

Sesshomaru then allowed mokomoko to lower her to the ground as its hold on Kagome's body loosened enough so she could rightfully stand on her own, and stretch out her bunched up muscles. As Kagome stretched, she thought about hightailing it while Sesshomaru was distracted, and staring intently at the castle doors; but just as she went to take a step towards the forest, she heard his monotone voice call out to her.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he advised before sparing her a quick sideways glance; his ice cold glare sending her little warning signs of death should she decide to run. She narrowed her eyes at him before crossing her arms across her chest, admitting silently to herself that she probably wouldn't have gotten very far anyway.

He turned away from her before she noted his shoulders tense slightly at the sudden sound of happy girlish giggles that began to echo inside the castle walls. The two large doors groaned as they were pulled open from the inside, and the giggles grew louder as the two caught sight of the source.

Kagome's mouth dropped when she realized (after a moment of squinting) that it was _Rin _running towards them. A very much _older_ looking Rin, and a very _pregnant_ looking Rin. From what Kagome could only guess, Rin had to be close to eight months. By gods, the girl looked ready to explode at any moment!

Her hair was still the thick, wavy mass it had been as a child; and it cascaded down her back in all its silky, long locks glory that ended at the edge of her girlish hips. She also wore a light blue kimono that reached down to her ankles, and looked much too large for her small frame; but accommodated for her enlarged belly perfectly.

Large purple lilies decorated the silky material, along with various smaller flower designs that added color to the already bright kimono. Kagome could only assume that it was another gift Sesshomaru had bestowed to her, like the many other gifts she had seen the great dog demon give to his ward on multiple occasions.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she squealed as she ran towards the dog demon. Once she was within reaching distance of him, she flung herself on him and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, "I've missed you, my lord!" Kagome heard the young woman murmur before she pulled away to look happily into his eyes.

Sesshomaru didn't reply in return, but Kagome watched as the cold, dark demon lord brought a sole hand up to gently pat the girl's head before cupping her cheek lightly. Rin's smile widened before she closed her eyes, and leaned into his caress. After a moment of aired silence, Rin pulled his hand from her cheek to gently tug on his arm.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she insisted, "I've been working on the baby's room while you were away, you simply must come see it!" she added as her eyes strayed in Kagome's direction before the young woman's cinnamon eyes brightened.

"Lady Kagome!" she chirped as she let go of Sesshomaru's hand, her previous offer forgotten, as she shuffled over to Kagome. Kagome let out a nervous laugh as she reached out a hand to shake Rin's, but the younger woman had other ideas as she flung herself against Kagome (much like she had done to Sesshomaru) and pulled her into a friendly embrace.

"It's been too long, Lady Kagome!" Rin stated with a smile when she pulled away from her, "how have things faired with you and Lord Inuyasha?"

"Inu...Inuyasha?" Kagome asked back as her eyes lowered, and she had to hold in the tears that pricked at the back of her eyes. The sound of his name on her lips brought back the horrible truth that her love was no longer, and _would_ no longer, be at her side.

She shut her eyes tightly as she felt a treacherous tear escape, and slowly run down her cheek. Rin's eyebrows rose in surprise before her dark brown pools softened as she grabbed a hold of Kagome's right arm.

"Forgive me, Lady Kagome," she murmured as she reached up to cup Kagome's cheek, and rubbed away the sole tear with her index finger. Kagome's eyes opened and widened at the caress as she turned to look at Rin in surprise before noting the soft, accepting smile that pulled at the young woman's lips.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called then, and the young woman turned to look up obediently at her lord, "you should not be out here in your condition. Go to your room and rest. The servants will come and care for...Kagome," he added, though Kagome didn't miss the way that it seemed to almost physically pain him to use her first name. She sent him her best glare before turning back to Rin with an overexcited smile.

"He's right, Rin! You shouldn't be out here if you're expecting. Though it was very kind of you to come out and greet us like this," Kagome agreed as Rin's face fell before she bowed her head.

"Must I leave, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she turned towards her lord with large, hopeful eyes. Kagome blinked in surprise when she noted the hesitation that sparked in the demon's eyes suddenly.

Sesshomaru seemed the type that would be angered by those who did not wish to obey his every command, and yet, he seemed at a loss to tell Rin to go a second time when he had ordered her to go the first. Kagome also couldn't help but wonder if maybe...Rin's baby could also be..._his_.

It would explain Sesshomaru's worry over her fairing without him, as well as the power Rin's desires seemed to have over his own judgment. Kagome glanced down to survey Rin one more time, and noted that even though she was young, she was older than she had been when she had last seen her.

The last time, Rin had only been eight or nine when Kagome had first seen her traveling with Sesshomaru, but now she looked around fourteen or fifteen. _She's almost the age __**I **__was when __**I**_ _first traveled to the feudal era,_ Kagome thought bittersweetly. She had also learned from conversations with Kaede that girls around that age were typically wed and at a perfect age to birth children during this era.

"If you wish to remain with Kagome a little longer, than I cannot argue," Sesshomaru surrendered to the young woman as he sent Kagome a warning glance before disappearing into the castle. Rin waved an enthusiastic goodbye to her lord before turning back to face Kagome.

"I'm so happy you've come, Lady Kagome! It's been so lonely here all alone," Rin murmured truthfully as she took the older woman's hands in her own, "Kohaku has only returned for a short while, and having him here helps a little, but it's nice to have another _woman's_ presence here so close to the birthing time of my first child," Rin added with a light giggle.

"Kohaku?" Kagome asked in surprise as Rin's cheeks heated in a blush before she lowered her gaze and glanced at the ground.

"Lady Sango's younger brother," Rin reminded her shyly before her cheeks turned a darker shade of red, "and the father of my baby," she added in an almost inaudible whisper while lovingly rubbing her enlarged belly.

"The baby's father?" Kagome called out, blushing when she noted how loud she had just yelled that, but she had been completely taken aback, "you mean Sesshomaru isn't – that is to say – he's not –"

"The father? Of course not!" Rin finished for her with a laugh, "I love my lord, and I know he loves me, but there has never been _that_ kind of love between us," she added with another giggle, as if finding Kagome's conclusions funny.

"Come now," Rin coaxed, their previous statements forgotten, as she grabbed for Kagome's hands, and led her into the castle. Kagome would've fought her and ran, but something about Rin's kind demeanor called for her to stay.

She also knew that even _if_ she escaped Rin's grasp, she wouldn't escape Sesshomaru's for long. An image of his disapproving glare towering over her appeared in her mind as she let out a sigh of despair.

_There really __**is**_ _no way out of this,_ Kagome thought as she hung her head in defeat while still being led deeper and deeper into the castle walls by an enthusiastic, chatty Rin.

(End dream)

Kagome's eyelids fluttered rebelliously open as streaks of sunlight hit them, signaling her tired brain that it was morning, and time to get up. She grumbled to herself before turning away from the blinded window, and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"If you remain asleep all morning, you will miss the parade, Kagome," Sesshomaru's voice sounded as she gave a start, and quickly opened her eyes to glance up at him in surprise. His face remained relatively neutral, but she saw the light humor that brightened those dark, auric depths as he stared back at her. He was lying sideways on her bed with his head resting on his left hand, his beauty so profound that Kagome could only glare enviously up at him.

He was already dressed in another one of his expensive suits, and had his long silvery hair swept behind his face in a low ponytail. Kagome marveled then at how his features had slightly aged and sharpened as time had passed since the feudal era.

A small smirk tugged at the sides of his mouth before he reached out to run his hands through her hair, though she altered her gaze somewhat shyly when she realized what she must look like. Her hair always tended to tangle and stick up on end when she'd wake up every morning, and she probably looked half conscious, and slightly out of it.

"You look beautiful," he assured her in a soft voice as he pushed the strand of hair he had been playing with behind her ear.

"I know you're lying," Kagome answered, though couldn't help the large smile that spread across her face as she moved to place her chin in her hands, "you're the beautiful one around here. Besides, I was probably taking up the entire bed and _snoring_ all night long. _Hardly_ what a sleeping beauty _should _look like,"

"You _do _drool a little," he admitted with a quirk of his thin lips.

"Hey! You're supposed to reassure me that I _don't_ do anything unattractive at night! Not point out that I do!" Kagome bantered back with a laugh as she moved to lightly punch his chest, signaling to Sesshomaru that she really wasn't mad at his comment.

"Hurry up, Kagome! We won't wait for you forever!" Rin yelled happily from the first floor, her light voice echoing in the halls by the front door. Kagome let out a light laugh at that before sluggishly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she moved around to grab for something to wear.

"Wait," Sesshomaru murmured just as Kagome realized that he had materialized in front of her, suddenly blocking her path to the dresser. She blinked at his chest in surprise before inclining her head to look up at him. Their eyes caught for a moment, gold to chocolate, before he glanced towards the bed.

"I have something for you," he added, "since it'll be getting colder soon,"

Kagome couldn't mask her peaked curiosity as she turned around, and spotted a large wrapped up package lying on the foot of her bed. Though, she was _certain_ that it hadn't been there a second before. Unless she had been completely oblivious to it, of course. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, since Sesshomaru always _did_ tend to occupy her thoughts on a full-time basis as of late.

"I'm glad that I mean so much to you," Sesshomaru murmured with a ghost of a smile, reading her thoughts, before bending down to place a swift kiss on her cheek. The endearing action brought a blush to Kagome's cheeks that would've made any love struck high school girl proud before she subconsciously brought her hand up to caress the part of her cheek his lips had so tenderly touched.

"Open it," he urged lightly as Kagome approached the gift and cradled it in both hands. While not wishing to waste any more of Sesshomaru's time, Kagome made quick work of the silk wrapping paper as she was presented with a box. It was rectangular, and instantly made Kagome realize that there would be clothes inside this box.

She gingerly pulled the top of the box open before her eyes widened at what was lying inside. A long, button downed, Shearling light brown coat was folded neatly on top of white tissue paper inside the clothing box. It looked and felt like pure leather with an even lighter brown fur that decorated the collar and each cuff.

"It's beautiful," Kagome murmured in wonder, thankful that she now would have a thicker jacket to wear for the oncoming cold season, "thanks Sesshomaru," she added with a smile. She hadn't even thought about buying a new jacket, and felt flattered that Sesshomaru had thought of it first.

"Kagome!" Rin's voice called impatiently, but still managed to hold onto that undeniable girlie charm. Kagome let out a light laugh before she pulled the jacket out of it's box and quickly put it on. She let out a happy sigh at the perfect fit before snuggling into the jacket, and giving Sesshomaru a quick spin.

"What do you think?" Kagome asked happily as Sesshomaru's lip quirked up slightly before he grabbed a hold of her right hand, and snipped off the tag with his claws.

"It suits you," he replied before she smiled up at him, and moved her hand so she could grab his. She then gave his arm a tug as she pulled him out of the room with her.

"Yay! Finally!" Rin squealed as she jumped into the air in pure delight before dashing out the door, her two favorite people rushing at her heels.

(Divider)

"Oh! Look Rin, there's men on stilts!" Kagome cried out as she gently shook the girl who was presently sitting on Sesshomaru's shoulders, his large hands keeping a firm hold on the little girl's pink jacket sleeves.

Rin turned her dark brown head in the direction that Kagome had pointed, and let out a sigh of wonder as her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she watched the men go by. Each one was wearing a mixture of colors, each never looking exactly like the man that followed. To say that Rin was in heaven was an understatement.

The annual parade was Rin's favorite time of the year. She had gone to see it with her parents before they had died. It had been a tradition; a tradition that she even kept up when she was homeless. It was also a tradition that she was happy that Sesshomaru was more than willing to keep up with as well.

When she had brought it up over a year ago, mere days after Sesshomaru had officially adopted her, he had said that he had never gone to 'public functions,' and never planned on going. That had shaken Rin to the core, and she had _insisted_ that they go that year, if nothing else. She had even opened up enough to tell him about how her family had gone every year, and about her going even when she had no one else to go with.

But, he had merely ignored her wish, and never brought it up again, _until _the day of the parade came around. He had come to wake her early that day, much like her father had done in the past, and pressed her to get dressed quickly.

She had done so in haste, not wanting to make her guardian wait any longer than he had to, and was happily surprised when he had told her where they were going on that Sunday morning. From what little Rin had known about Sesshomaru at the time, she had seen him as a man who never took advice from others, much less one who would want to grant them a simple wish.

Such an action had both touched and brought hope to the vastly healing little girl who had been so broken and alone not that long ago. Hope, that maybe someone who had come from nothing could have her _own_ happy ending too. That she too, could be loved again like she had been with her family before the fire.

Rin was brought back to the present at the sound of Kagome's laugh, and looked down to see the raven haired woman finding just as much joy and light as _she_ did from the parade. Her dark brown eyes were lit with life as she turned from the variety of clowns and vehicles to glance up at Sesshomaru before lifting her gaze even further to look up at Rin.

"Are you having fun, Rin?" Kagome asked kindly as she reached her hand up to Rin. She smiled down at the woman before pulling one arm out of Sesshomaru's grasp to take Kagome's hand in her own and gave it a light squeeze.

"Yes," Rin replied happily, "I always have fun at the parade! But I'm glad you could make it this year, Kagome!" she added with a grin as Kagome returned it with a pearly white smile of her own. The two females let go of their hands, but before Sesshomaru could grab for Rin's arm again, the little girl leaned forward to place her free hand on top of his head.

"Look!" Rin cried out as she glanced up in awe at the large dog balloon that drifted by the crowd that was tied down to four cop cars. The large balloon almost seemed big enough to rival Sesshomaru's true dog form. Though_ this _dog was _much_ cuter in Rin's eyes, even though she preferred Sesshomaru to it if given a choice.

She untangled her other arm from Sesshomaru's grasp as she placed both hands on top of his silver head to hoist herself up higher. Once she was sure she was balanced, she reached out a hand to try and touch the balloon.

When she missed it the first time, she narrowed her eyes at it in determination before reaching for her pink hat. She grinned wolfishly at the cunning dog balloon before making a swipe at it with her hat, but the action still came up as a failure. She glowered at it as it passed by before resting her hat on top of Sesshomaru's head as she slouched back to sit on his shoulders again.

"Rin, your hat–" Sesshomaru began as he reached for the hat that was now blocking his view of the parade, but Rin didn't notice until she saw another man approach their little group. He had half of his hair in a loose ponytail while pink eye shadow coated his big brown eyes as his lipstick lips rubbed together and gave out a little smack as his introduction.

"Well, look at you, handsome!" the man giggled, "you outfit doesn't _quite_ match, but I do like that you're trying to sneak a little pink into it," he added with a wink as Sesshomaru continued to play tug-of-war with Rin for her hat that was still perched on top of his head, and over his eyes.

Rin blinked in surprise at the man before she felt Sesshomaru's tugs and saw, with mouth agape, that her hat was covering his face. She hurriedly snatched back her hat before quickly putting on top of her head with a little blush.

"Oh, sir...Sesshomaru's not–" Kagome tried to come in and save Sesshomaru, but the man merely waved her off.

"Don't try to deny it, missy," the man advised with a swing up his hips, "if he wants to wear pink, then let 'im! There's no crime in wanting to attract others of the _same_ sex," he added as he came in closer to fiddle with Sesshomaru's gray scarf flirtatiously.

"Sir, I assure you that I'm not interested," Sesshomaru answered as the man let go of Sesshomaru's scarf and took a step back with a knowing smirk. Rin couldn't tell what Sesshomaru was doing with his face, but whatever it was, it was working.

"Well, I just wanted to say that you're more than welcome to _me_ once you get tired of _her_," the man replied with a glance at Kagome before he flicked his own pink scarf over his shoulder.

"Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Kagome yelled after him, and she sent him a fiery glare as the man merely scoffed at her and flirtatiously swayed his way away.

Once the man was out of ear shot, Rin let out a squeak of fear when she suddenly was lifted off Sesshomaru's shoulders, and placed on the ground. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and it took just as long for Rin to adjust to being on her own two feet again.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called her to attention. She quickly stood up straighter as she gave her guardian and adoptive father an apprehensive look.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," he commanded as Rin nodded her head several times before latching herself to Sesshomaru's leg. _It's time to turn on the cuteness,_ Rin thought with determination as she glanced up at Sesshomaru with the biggest and wettest eyes she could muster.

"I didn't mean to, Sesshomaru," she began, and even let out a light hiccup of fear for good measure, "and you even made a new friend!" she pointed out, and smiled sheepishly when she heard Kagome give out a snort of laughter.

Sesshomaru turned towards Kagome and narrowed his eyes at her, and the woman stopped laughing immediately. She, instead, coughed into her fist to mask the fit of giggles that were still streaming from her lips.

She watched as Sesshomaru's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a light breath before glancing back at her.

"It's fine, but you're staying down there for the remainder of the parade," he replied coldly, and Rin beamed up at him in return. So long as she wasn't in trouble, she didn't care where she had to stay. She'd stay on top of a skyscraper to watch the parade if he told her to.

Luckily for her, Sesshomaru had gotten a spot right next to the street, so there was no one for Rin to worry about being stuck behind. She did tend to get stuck behind people due to her small stature. _I do hope that I grow up to be tall_, she thought as she glanced up at the sky as if it would respond to her internal wish.

She then sat on the curb as she rested her chin in her hands, and watched the rest of the parade go by. It was always a magical time of the year, and it marked the coming of Christmas! Rin's favorite holiday!

Christmas wasn't her favorite holiday just for the presents like it was for most, rather she enjoyed the closeness that occurred during it. Families renewed their love for each other with gifts, and gatherings, and events! Rin had even found various homeless people to celebrate the holidays with during her time alone. It truly was a most wondrous holiday.

Rin turned to look back at her now slightly larger family, and couldn't help but smile. It definitely would be _very_ different with Kagome in the picture, but Rin wasn't sad or jealous. Rather, she was happy that her guardian had finally found someone for himself.

Kagome was like no other woman Rin had ever met. She could be as kind as a teddy bear to those that she cared for, and be as fierce as a lioness when threatened. Traits that seemed somewhat bipolar, but she was still just Kagome. Rin had guessed from the beginning that her father would need someone unusual, someone that wasn't as predictable as the women that had constantly surrounded him before.

She also seemed to hardly care about Sesshomaru's money; and while she _accepted _gifts from him, she did not _ask_ for them. A fact that Rin was sure her father was very happy about. She caught Kagome's gaze as the ebony haired woman stopped talking with Sesshomaru to give her a friendly smile. Rin returned it tenfold before glancing back at the parade.

(Divider)

"Kagome! It's been a while since I've seen you here!" Sango exclaimed with a grin as she watched Kagome walk in with her posy right behind her. Sesshomaru merely ignored Sango as he continued on towards his office, with Jaken and Rin in tow.

Kagome let out a breath as she rested her upper half against Sango's desk, "So...so tired," she murmured as Sango blinked in surprise at her co-worker and friend.

"What are you tired from?" Sango couldn't help but ask.

"Them," Kagome groaned as she pointed in the direction of the large glass window that stood opposite of the secretary's office. Sango got up from her chair to investigate, and was surprised to see a large mass of people surrounding the entrance to their office building. The constant bright flashing was further proof that the majority of them were photographers, but why would they be after her friend and boss?

"The news about your engagement still hasn't blown over?" Sango asked in surprise as she turned to look at Kagome who was still trying to catch her breath.

"I guess not," Kagome answered with a heaved sigh, "and they keep hounding me with questions. I had to run around the park, twice, before I lost half of them. And before you ask, yes there were more after me. And it's just me! They don't care about Jaken, or Rin, or even Sesshomaru! It's like I'm the bad guy for being mate – getting engaged to Sesshomaru," she added.

"Well, getting to come into work whenever you feel like it and having a chance with Mr. Tashio seems like it'd be worth it," Sango stated with a smile, trying to help, but winced when she saw Kagome's eyes widen in shock.

"Is that how it looks? I – I mean a lot has happened, and I've been swamped by everything...I just haven't found time to come into work," Kagome replied with a defeated expression as she ran her hands over her face to try and rub it away.

"Well, I've only been going off of what the others have been saying around the office," Sango laughed nervously, but saw that telling Kagome that didn't help matters much either. Kagome stared at her for a moment before glancing around the halls with a suspicious eye.

"Just _what_ have the others been saying?" Kagome seethed with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, nothing really," Sango replied while shaking her hands, hoping to calm the rapid anger that was swirling like an inferno in the woman's dark brown eyes.

"Oh, it's horrible Sango," Kagome groaned suddenly as she rested her back against her desk, "I don't know how much more I can take," she added as she seemed to wallow in her own misery.

"You know...I am looking for someone to watch over the shop during the week," Sango stated absentmindedly, "Kohaku is going back to elementary school soon, in fact this is his last year before he graduates and goes off to junior high," Sango added.

"What are you getting at?" Kagome asked curiously, suddenly coming around, as she eyed the other woman.

"Well, you could work at the store during the week while I'm here, and Kohaku is at school," Sango offered as Kagome's eyes widened before they brightened, and she rushed over to give Sango a tight hug.

"Oh this is perfect, Sango! I'd love to work at your flower shop!" Kagome added.

"And all those photographers would do wonders for my business if their main news story is working at _my_ flower shop," Sango murmured to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Sango chirped, "so when can I expect you to start?"

"As soon as possible! Whenever you need me!" Kagome replied ecstatically.

"Aren't you going to talk it over with Sesshomaru first?" Sango asked.

"Oh, he's perfectly fine with it," Kagome smiled while she waved her off.

"How do you know?"

"I – uh – just know! I'll talk to him about it later," Kagome promised with a nervous grin.

"Well...I suppose if he is going to be alright with it...then you can start tomorrow! I'm sure Kohaku would like to enjoy the rest of his break before school starts," Sango replied as Kagome gave her another overbearing hug.

"You're the best, Sango!" Kagome exclaimed before waving goodbye to her, and rushing towards her office. Most likely to start on the pile that she'd have for the day. Sango had to admit, she'd miss working with her, but was happy for Kagome since she would be much happier working _for _her.

(Divider)

_Ok...well I know that I made Sesshy a bit OOC in this chapter. If it's too much please tell me and don't feel bad, I would really like the pointers! _

_And on that note, please tell me if Kagome is a bit too OOC as well. Since I'm usually a Sessh/Rin writer I typically keep Kagome as a side character, and never really use her too much. So I'm a fairly new Kagome writer, so pointers would be **wonderful**!_

_Also, what I'm planning with my Sessh OOCness is to offset the sort of jerky **past** Sesshy with pleasant/sugar daddy **present** Sesshy. Just because we all know that Sesshy isn't all bad deep down XD and I want to keep reminding my readers of that. And while it hasn't gotten **too** bad yet, I am planing to make their past life together a lot darker...(ominous music playing in backward)._

_Play list for this chapter: Cocteau twins - Alice. This mortal coil - Song to the Siren. _

_Until next time!_


	25. Rin's got a crush!

_Sorry this took awhile...I've had a lot of school/apartment issues happen to me in the past few weeks which has given me virtually NO time to do anything!_

_**Also, I went back and changed Kagome's last name to Higurashi because I've received various messages from people that it bothers them that she has a different last name. So, Kagome's last name is Higurashi from now on.**_

_Review Corner_

_PinkSlytherin: No problem! Thanks for the review!_

_DarkRavie: Glad you like what's happening =) I kind of figured I needed a funny chapter to offset the sort of serious events that have been going on. Thanks for the review!_

_Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf:I'm always amazed at how many Sessh/Rin believers I find that are Sessh/Kag fans! I think I always assume that fans of Sessh/Kag are **only** fans of that and nothing else lol. Thanks again for finding my errors, I always depend on you to look out for me! =) And no, that guy wasn't serious, just poking fun at him. And no problem on the order of the review, I always enjoy reading them ^^ Thanks, as always, for your review!_

_Crystal jade2: thanks for the enthusiasm and review!_

_Gothic Lust: Glad you loved the chapter! Here's the next one for you ^^ thanks for the review!_

_CutieSOS: haha that was the reaction I was aiming for when I was writing it. I do tend to be evil like that sometimes...=) Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for your review!_

_Luvisluv13: It's cool haha, I actually went back and changed her last name because I've been getting a lot of complaints along those lines...so hopefully it won't be as much of a turnoff the next time around ^^ thanks for the review!_

_Thatgdxbdgirl: Aww I was touched by your review! Though it can be damaging to your eyes if you stare at a computer screen for too long, I am selfishly satisfied that you're doing it while reading MY story ^^ thanks for the review!_

_Peek-A-Boo: thanks for the review, and error that you found in my first chapter! I never caught that, even when I went back to edit it, so thanks! =)_

_Megan Consoer: Sure thing! I have a good idea where I'm going and how I'm going to end the story, so expect frequent updates! ^^ thanks for the review!_

(Divider)

Kagome sat idly at her desk as she wondered what she should be doing at the present moment. She had already talked to Sesshomaru telepathically about taking the job at Sango's flower shop, and he had reluctantly agreed.

"_I will not be able to watch over, and protect you, if I cannot see you,_" he had logically pointed out in her mind. Though Kagome knew he had the best intentions, she couldn't help but think he was overreacting. Naraku hadn't gone after her since the last attack, and she was starting to wonder if he'd even _try _anything else after _that_ failure.

She had merely replied that she could notify him telepathically if something should happen while they weren't together. There was also the undeniable fact that he could feel what she did. If she was under attack, he'd know the instant she was.

She began to tap her pen against her desk as she stared at it for a moment before she heard voices echo through the hall.

"Maybe _I _should have slept with the boss, Toma. Then maybe _I_ could show up to work whenever_ I _wanted to," she heard a woman joke to another as they laughed together while passing by her office. Kagome glared daggers at the women as they passed, but they merely ignored her and laughed harder as they continued on their way.

This ridicule had been going on all day, and there was a part of Kagome that was happy she was leaving this place for good. She supposed she half expected the ridicule on the way to work that morning, though.

There were honest, hard working people that worked large amounts of hours to make ends meet at InuTashio Corp., and here she was skipping work and getting written off for it by "sleeping with the boss."

She knew that office affairs were never condoned, or tolerated at the work place; and frankly, if Sesshomaru hadn't been the owner of the company, she was sure that she would've lost her job for such a scandal by now.

"_I can have them fired, you know_," she heard Sesshomaru's voice echo in her mind, and Kagome couldn't help the smile that pulled on the ends of her lips at that.

"No, they're harmless," Kagome murmured before realizing that she didn't need to voice her thoughts out loud.

"Who isn't harmless?" Miroku asked as he popped his head into her office.

"Uh..No one!" Kagome answered with a nervous laugh, "I mean, I was talking to myself. So...what's up, Miroku?" she added while trying her hardest to cover up her little mess-up.

That was another thing that kept getting her tongue tied around others; the fact that she couldn't come right out and _tell_ people that she was _mated_ to Sesshomaru. That she was a demon's mate, a status that gave her all kinds of powers and wondrous abilities that no other normal human had.

She had nearly slipped that morning when she had spoken to Sango about the photographers from earlier.

"Oh, nothing at all, I'm afraid. So, a little bird told me that you're planning on leaving the company soon, mind telling me why?" Miroku asked as he walked into her office, and took a seat on the extra chair that was situated across from her desk.

"Oh, it was a very spontaneous decision," Kagome answered with another nervous laugh, "I heard from Sango that she needed someone to watch the shop for the Fall season since her little brother's heading back to school, and figured that I'd make a great flower shop attendant," she added, though noted the look of suspicion that crossed over Miroku's face.

"Are you sure it isn't because the female work force hasn't been the most welcoming since you've come back? I'm sure it'll die down soon, Kagome," he assured her, but Kagome merely shook his head.

"It doesn't bother me that the women here are upset with me. I understand them, actually," she replied, "they are all hard-working people who deserve to be treated as respectful individuals, not represented by a woman who gets to skip work because she's sleeping with the boss," she added with a soft smile.

"That's not true at all, Kagome!" Miroku reassured her, "you're a very hard working woman! Don't make those women your betters!"

"I'm not," Kagome smiled, though noted that it was a tad bit forced, "I just feel like I don't need to continue working for InuTashio Corp., that's all," she added, though felt her expression slacken when she saw the sadness that seemed to practically radiate off the man.

"What's wrong, Miroku?" Kagome asked worriedly as he hung his head and slouched his shoulders over his chair.

"I was hoping you could get me a promotion, because of your connection to Mr. Tashio..." Miroku sulked as Kagome had to hold in the need to collapse on the floor in bewilderment. She let out a light laugh before sending him a knowing glare.

"So that's why you're so upset that I'm leaving, huh?" Kagome asked as she was about to lecture him on how it wasn't good to take advantage of coworkers when another person barged into her office.

The familiar blue in the man's eyes instantly made Kagome realize that it was Koga who had nearly ripped her office door off its hinges with his bare hands.

"So, you were gonna leave without telling me...?" he asked in outrage before he strode over to her side to take both of her hands in his own, "if Sesshomaru is making you leave, I'll tear that bastard apart," he added confidently as Kagome gave him a weak smile.

"Language," she reminded him as he grumbled a quick apology, "but it isn't Sesshomaru that's causing it, far from it actually. You see–"

"He's mated with you! How dare that dog move in on my woman?" Koga exclaimed then as he examined Kagome's face intently for a moment, "you have all the attributes of a demon's mate, but where's his mark? I don't see it on your face or neck,"

"Mate?" Miroku voiced out weakly as he watched the two with a nervous smile, "if you mean bride-to-be, then yes, Kagome is Sesshomaru's "mate" so to speak,"

"That's _exactly_ what he means, Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed, relieved that he hadn't thought too much about what Koga was saying, "you're so smart," she cooed for good measure.

"That's not – " Koga began as Kagome hurriedly covered his mouth with her hands before sending Miroku a smile.

"Hey, Miroku? Do you think you could give us a minute?" she asked as the man looked between the two for a moment before he shrugged and got out of the chair. He didn't say a word as he turned around and walked out of her office, mindful enough to shut the door on his way out.

Kagome let out a large breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding before she turned to Koga with a hot glare.

"You almost gave away the secret about demons' existence, Koga!" she growled as Koga blinked at her for a moment before a large grin spread across his face.

"I forgot the dog wants to keep demons' existence a secret around here. Sorry about that, Kagome," he apologized before his expression turned slightly serious as he examined her face and neck once more, "but if you two _are_ mates, then where is his mark proclaiming your unison?" he asked, and even went as far as to tug on the collar of her shirt to sneak a peek at the skin underneath.

She temporarily saw fire as she viciously slapped her hand across the wolf demon's face.

"Ouch, you got some spine on ya, woman," Koga muttered as he rubbed his red cheek for a moment before glancing at Kagome with his blue eyes set in puzzlement.

"That's none of your business," Kagome answered as she shut her eyes impatiently, "you were able to sense that we _are_ connected as mates, isn't that enough?"

"I suppose, though the mark let's me know for certain," Koga replied as Kagome opened her eyes to look back at him in slight surprise. Seeming to sense that she was curious by what he meant, Koga continued,

"Right now I can only tell that you're a demon's mate, but I can't tell who you belong to specifically," he began as he bent in slightly closer for a quick sniff, "I only guessed that it was Sesshomaru since he's the only demon I know you spend a lot of time with, in addition to the fact that his scent is all over you,"

"Oh," Kagome stated, though felt slightly uncomfortable at having Koga so close to her. Something inside her made her feel...queasy. Like it wasn't quite right to have another male other than Sesshomaru so close to her. _Could it be another trait that I get for being a demon's mate?_ Kagome wondered, though noted that Sesshomaru was remaining oddly quiet in her mind. Well, quiet for _him_ at least.

She remembered how she had reacted to Kagura back in the "other" world, and how alien her jealousy and anger had felt. Though she was certain she'd still feel the same even if she wasn't Sesshomaru's mate, those feelings felt almost amplified by the fact that she _was_ Sesshomaru's mate. She wouldn't be surprised if feeling uncomfortable around others of the opposite sex was another one of those amplified feelings.

"Well, _sorry_," Koga replied as he straightened and let his hand fall from his still hand-printed, reddened cheek. He seemed to have noted her unease though, and seemed equally as uneasy as he took a few hasty steps back.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked then as she folded her arms over her chest before surveying the wolf, "I hope it isn't to ask me to pledge myself to you again," she added as Koga grinned wolfishly at her.

"Nope," he chirped before he looked around her office for a moment, "you sure you aren't going to miss this place?"

"Of course I will!" Kagome exclaimed, "it's just...I just need to get away from all the news reporters and photographers...and working for the same company that the man you're mated to does just doesn't cut it. Not to mention that Sesshomaru was one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan, until me that is," she added in a groan as she rested her forehead in her hands.

"You could work for me?" Koga suggested with his signature, wolfish grin. Kagome gave him a soft smile in return before she gently shook her head.

"Sesshomaru would never approve of that. Besides, your company isn't that far from Sesshomaru's, which wouldn't solve my popularity with the press problem," Kagome pointed out as Koga rested his chin in his right hand as he thought over other possibilities for her.

"But wait, you never answered my question on why you're here," Kagome realized suddenly as they locked eyes for a moment, dark brown to icy blue.

"I'm here to see if Sesshomaru has made a decision on the merger with Wolf Electronics yet," he answered her before letting his hand fall to his side, "I haven't heard word from him since he randomly showed up at my company building awhile back,"

"He came by to see you?" Kagome repeated in surprise as Koga nodded to her.

"Yeah, and he said something along the lines of having a meeting scheduled with me that day that had been moved to my company rather than his," Koga replied with a shrug when he noted Kagome's confusion, "I didn't understand it either. I hadn't even called the dog to schedule anything. He told me to wait until he contacted me, and that's what I was planning on doing," he added.

Kagome was about to respond when she felt a sudden tug at her consciousness, and realized that it was Sesshomaru calling out to her. She took a moment to open her mind up for his entry, and felt a swarm of thoughts and emotions hit her at once.

_Get rid of this...must keep the floor ignorant...kill him_! Kagome's eyes widened at the thoughts before she hurriedly stood up from her desk.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Koga asked as Kagome shook her head lightly.

"I want to check on something. Promise you won't leave until I come back?" she asked as Koga stared at her for a moment before giving her a curt nod.

"Alright," he promised as Kagome sent him a thankful smile before rushing over towards Sesshomaru's office. She looked down the hall for Sesshomaru, and spotted Rin sitting in the waiting area with Sango. Rather than dwell on why the little girl wasn't in Sesshomaru's office, she closed the distance between her office and his. Kagome hurriedly turned the golden knob before pushing the door inward to allow herself entry into Sesshomaru's office.

"Sesshomaru I – " she began before she was stopped in her tracks at the sight before her as she held in the gasp that was threatening to escape her slightly parted lips. Sesshomaru was stuck somewhere in between his demon transformation, and was cornering a man with long pinkish hair. His face seemed stuck in between his human face, and the white dog that was his true form.

Kagome sucked in a breath when he turned his head in her direction; his appearance a truly frightening sight to behold. His face had turned into the white color of his dog form with his facial markings in plain view. His face was pinched forward by a good few inches, and his mouth was fully equipped with the tremendous amount of teeth that his demonic form possessed while the rest of his body remained in its humanoid form.

The other man's cold, almost lifeless eyes turned in her direction at her outburst as his dark colored lips turned upward into a small, satanic smile.

"Kagome," he breathed her name as Kagome let out a shiver at the hushed, almost robotic sound of the strange man's voice. He moved to get closer to her, only to be roughly pushed back against the wall by Sesshomaru as his dog/human head growled loudly in the stranger's face.

Sesshomaru turned towards Kagome then as he sent her a mental message, "_Get out of here, and make sure no one comes in_," he ordered as Kagome gave him a confident nod before going to do as he said.

"I will not lose you, Kagome," the stranger promised darkly as he opened his mouth wide before a much smaller, deformed figure slithered out and flew towards her. Kagome let out a scared gasp before hurriedly running out of Sesshomaru's office while tightly shutting the door behind her.

She quickly shut her eyes as she felt the door quiver against her back from the impact on the other side. Kagome could only assume it came from that deformed figure face planting straight into the otherside of the door. She turned around a second later, and realized that she could look into Sesshomaru's office through his glass door, and saw him expertly dealing with the unknown duo.

Kagome watched the constant battle go underway as Sesshomaru worked to gain control of the two. She could tell he was having some difficulty when the smaller form would disappear while he was dealing with the larger one. Suddenly, he grabbed hold of the larger figure's neck as he simultaneously caught the smaller form in between his elongated teeth.

"Kagome!" Sango's voice called out as Kagome let out a surprised squeak before whirling around to spot Sango on her way over to her. She quickly plastered her body against the door as she tried to hide as much as she could of the battle going on within. _Thank god it's soundproof,_ Kagome thought as she tried to inwardly compose herself.

"What are you doing outside of Mr. Tashio's office? Are you going to talk with him too?" she asked curiously as Kagome gave her a forced smile.

"Why...yes I was! Only, he's in a meeting right now with some important people, and told me to wait outside until he's done," Kagome replied as Sango tried to peek over her shoulder into his office.

"Who is he talking with?" Sango questioned as Kagome spread out her body further to cover the glass from her friend's view.

"People," Kagome assured her as Sango raised a single brow at her.

"Are you hiding something, Kagome?" she asked as Kagome let out a scared breath before laughing nervously at her.

"Why would I do something like that?" Kagome asked back as Sango folded her arms across her chest before giving Kagome a pointed look.

"I have important letters I need to give to Mr. Tashio, so please let me through," Sango urged as Kagome glanced at the multiple letters in the secretary's left hand.

"Um...Give them to me!" Kagome offered as she let go of the door knob to reach for the letters. An action she regretted a second later when the door shook violently once again, and Kagome was pushed forcibly forward. She tried to quickly gain her footing before throwing her weight against the door to keep it securely shut.

"What was that?" Sango exclaimed in surprise as Kagome gave her another awkward laugh.

"Nothing at all! Just go back to your desk!" Kagome assured her as Sango gave her one last, worried glance before whirling on her heels to make her way back to her cubicle. Kagome sighed deeply as she wordlessly thanked Sango for not pressing on the issue of Kagome's random loss of balance.

Kagome turned around again to check on how Sesshomaru was doing, and noted that they weren't fighting in her line of vision. She looked around as best she could before checking in on Sesshomaru telepathically.

"_Are you alright? What happened?_" Kagome asked as she heard Sesshomaru's voice enter her mind a second later.

"_They were another one of Naraku's henchmen. They said their names were __Kageroumaru & Juuroumaru__" _he informed her, "_the bodies are still in here, send anyone who wants to see me away for now,_" he added as Kagome sent him a confirmation before hurrying back to her office.

She'd have to get Koga out of there ASAP.

(Divider)

Kagome had just escorted Koga out of the building, and made it back to the fifth floor when she noted that Sesshomaru was conversing with Sango, and had Rin standing obediently at his side. The little girl was looking around impatiently before she spotted Kagome, and waved happily in her direction. Kagome gave her a small smile before closing the distance between her and the others.

"Kagome!" Rin greeted with a toothy grin once she was within speaking distance, "I was worried you might have left with that Koga wolf guy. Sango said he'd come to talk with Sesshomaru a little earlier, but then I saw him leave with you," she added while cutely cocking her head to the side, her side ponytail falling forward to frame her young face.

"Oh yeah, about that..." Kagome laughed while awkwardly scratching the back of her head, "I figured that it was best he not talk with Sesshomaru today,"

"How come?" Rin asked back, and Kagome noted out of the corner of her eye that Sango and Sesshomaru had turned to look expectedly at her as well.

"Just a feeling," she answered lamely with a nervous laugh; trying her hardest _not_ to accidentally blurt out that one of Naraku's minions had come to kill Sesshomaru, and that she had been covering for him by sending Koga away.

"_Great excuse_," Sesshomaru mocked her sarcastically in her mind. Kagome tried to (as secretive as possible) send him an angry glare but ultimately failed. Sango seemed to note the woman's anger that was radiating off of her in waves, for she pushed her chair slightly away from her desk as she backed away from her with wary eyes. Rin remained completely oblivious to Kagome's rage as usual.

"So, have you two decided on what Ms. Higurashi will do about the open position at my flower shop?" Sango asked as she looked equally between the two adults.

"Yes, I've told her it's fine," Sesshomaru replied nonchalantly as Sango's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"Oh? I never saw you two talking since I offered the position to her this morning," Sango observed, "you went straight to your office, and Kagome to hers. Then when I went to drop off those letters to you, Kagome said that you were in an important meeting, and that you couldn't be interrupted. After that Kagome walked Koga out and now we're here together," she recited as if she had taken detailed notes all that morning of their every action.

Kagome was sure her mouth was hanging wide open as her mind drew a blank on how to respond to her co-workers diligent scheduling of their day. She also noted Sesshomaru falter slightly before he opened his mouth to answer her,

"We found time," was his simple answer. Kagome had to hold in the need to laugh out loud at the generic answer.

"_Not so easy, is it_?" she teased in his mind as he sent her a dark glare in response. Sango merely blinked at him before she gave him a faint nod. From what Kagome could tell, Sango wasn't _completely_ satisfied with his answer; but given that he was her boss, she'd have live with it.

A second later, Kagome felt the novel presence of another approaching the group, and turned to see who it was. No one was in plain sight, but in the next moment the gold elevator doors opened to reveal a young boy in a school uniform wearing a bright blue baseball cap.

He had a newspaper bag slung over his shoulders, and was presently holding one in his left hand as he sent them a humble, but friendly smile. He had what looked like semi-long brown hair pulled up in a ponytail that stuck out of the open pocket in the back of his cap. He also had the softest brown eyes Kagome had ever seen. There was a gentle soul lovingly placed inside the boy, and Kagome felt instantly charmed by him.

"Hi Kohaku," Sango greeted with a smile, and the boy's smile widened slightly as he turned to look at her.

"Hey Sis," he greeted shyly in return as Kagome was taken aback at the realization that this boy was Sango's younger brother. She took a moment to look between the two before she saw the resemblance, and couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Having a little brother of her own, she knew how happy it was to see family.

"Here's today's paper," he added just as shyly as before as he placed the rolled up paper in his sister's waiting palm. She gave him another gentle smile as he pulled the bag of newspapers over his shoulder before hurriedly unrolling and stacking them on the corner of Sango's desk.

_So that's where the paper comes from everyday,_ Kagome thought with realization. She had never seen the paper delivered during the day, and figured that Sesshomaru brought the copies with him for the office before work began.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Kohaku apologized as he respectfully bowed in front of the group, "I didn't budget my time well enough, so I had to wait until my shift at the flower shop ended before I could give out today's paper,"

"It's alright," Rin giggled as Kohaku looked up at her before giving her a bashful smile. Kagome noted the little girl's returning blush with a small, knowing smile of her own. Out of the corner of her eye Kagome spotted Sesshomaru glance down at Rin as well before his eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

"You're fired," Sesshomaru responded icily as the young boy's mouth fell open in surprise and dread.

"W – What?" the boy asked back in disbelief as Sesshomaru glanced down at him with one of his signature, icy glares.

"I said, you're fired," Sesshomaru repeated levelly, ignoring the obviously stressed out boy's expressions, "and if I see you on this premise again, I'll have you escorted out, _personally_," he threatened as Kohaku took a wary step back.

"Y – Yes sir," he stammered before turning around to make a mad dash for the stairs. But they all paused in shock (Sesshomaru in mild surprise) when Rin cried out for him to wait.

"Don't go, Kohaku," Rin begged with saddened eyes as she turned to look up at Sesshomaru, "don't fire him, Sesshomaru," she murmured as Sesshomaru stared back at her with cold, unwavering eyes.

"My decision is final, Rin," he replied as the little girl let out a light gasp before she turned to look back at Kohaku.

"But...I like him," she responded somewhat shyly as Kagome noted the boy's face go completely red at her bluntness.

"You don't need to fight with him for my sake, Rin," Kohaku assured her then as Rin's eyes slightly widened before she looked down at the ground.

"But if you don't come around the office to deliver newspapers anymore...when will I ever see you again?" she asked back innocently as Kohaku's blush darkened another shade of red.

"You could attend school with him," Sango offered as Rin's eyes brightened with hope, and Sesshomaru's darkened in mild frustration.

"_I_ decide what is best for Rin," Sesshomaru growled, "you have no right to give her any hope otherwise," he added as Kagome took a step towards him.

"Rin _should_ have a choice. You can't control _every_ aspect of her life," Kagome seethed as she sensed Sesshomaru's anger begin to rise, which only fueled her already boiling temper.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Sango begin to back away from her desk yet again, the look of pure terror etched into her face as she stared worriedly from one adult to the other.

"Don't play with fire, woman," Sesshomaru bit back as he took a step towards her as well, closing the already close distance there had been between the two.

"Um...I'd be happy to go now, if that's alright?" Kohaku voiced out timidly.

"No!" the two turned to yell at him in unison as the boy visibly gulped with a shudder before giving the two adults a swift nod.

"Rehire him," Kagome demanded as Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at her before he simply replied,

"No,"

"You know, I'd be happy just going to school with Rin rather than having this job," Kohaku informed them quietly before giving out another shudder when Kagome sent him a fiery glare.

"You'll take the job back, and you'll _like_ it," she growled as Kohaku quickly nodded his head with a fearful squeak.

"Can I go to school with him, Daddy?" Rin asked sweetly as she tugged on Sesshomaru's pant leg, which distracted the dog demon for a moment.

"It'd make me happy," she added cutely as Kagome noted Sesshomaru's "final" decision begin to waver in his mind as her own anger began to cool as well.

"She _does _need an education," Sango butted in before fearfully altering her gaze when she received an icy glare from Sesshomaru.

"They aren't the same age," Sesshomaru pointed out as he eyed Kohaku for a moment, "she wouldn't be able to see him there either,"

"That's not a problem!" Rin chimed in, "I'll study _really_ hard, and keeping testing out of classes until I _am_ in Kohaku's class!" she added as Kohaku blinked at her in surprise for a moment.

"I'm eleven, and about to go into the sixth grade," he informed her, "can you test out of three years of school?" he asked her, disbelief bright in the young boy's dark brown eyes.

"I can do it!" Rin chirped with a grin, "I've learned a lot from being around Sesshomaru and his business partners. I know English, Japanese, a lot of Math, and a whole bunch of other things!" she added happily.

"I bet you can do it, Rin!" Kagome smiled, "if you put your mind to it, you can do anything!" she assured her as the two girls shared an excited grin.

"I have yet to agree to anything," Sesshomaru reminded the two females as Kagome turned to look back at Sesshomaru seriously for a moment, and decided on continuing the conversation telepathically with him instead.

"_Why are you so against Rin going to school?__"_She asked as she noticed Sesshomaru falter for a moment, but spotted the dark look that she noted he was trying so hard to hide from her as he altered his gaze from hers with narrowed lids.

"I am not against her getting an education," he stated out loud, though continued his sentence in her mind, "_I am against her going to school with __**him**_," he stated as he inclined his head in Kohaku's direction.

"_Why?_" Kagome pressed as she felt her heart clench a second later when an image of a pained Rin entered her mind. It was the older Rin she had seen from her visions\. The girl was sprawled across something that resembled a large wooden table with tear streaks staining her pale cheeks as lifeless cinnamon eyes seemed to stare out infinitely at nothing.

It was only an image Kagome had a second to study, but she could feel the sadness and dread that filled Sesshomaru's mind at having to deal with even a second of seeing Rin's suffering. There was also a surprising hatred for Kohaku that she could sense in Sesshomaru's mind, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was _he_ who had caused the girl's pain in that single mind image.

The pain showed through Kagome's eyes as she held in the need to wrap her arms around Sesshomaru's neck and just hold him close to her. He had loved the past Rin so profusely that he was worried if he allowed this Rin to follow in that same path...she too would fall into the same cycling fate her past life had.

"_Things could be different_," Kagome offered solemnly, but could tell that Sesshomaru didn't believe her. He seemed too certain on the fact that Rin would indeed follow the same path, if he allowed it.

Kagome watched as he simply stared down at the little girl, his mind wheeling over the possibilities should he allow Kohaku into the girl's life.

"Say goodbye to Kohaku," he told her levelly after a time, his decision unchanged even as Rin's eyes began to water, "this will be the last time you will ever see him,"

"But –" she began weakly, her voice caught in her throat.

"Do not argue," Sesshomaru commanded as Rin obediently shut her mouth, but she could not hide her slight quiver as a stray tear traveled down her cheek. Sesshomaru merely ignored her show of emotion, and turned on her before making his way back to his office. His only inkling that he wanted the girl to follow him was when he paused after a couple of strides. He turned to give her a sideways glance as he waited patiently for her to come to his side.

"Rin," he called when the girl remained glued to her spot near Kohaku.

"No," she choked out. Sesshomaru turned fully around to face her in slight surprise before walking towards her once more, but she remained where she was. She even went as far as to spread her arms out wide as she stood confidently in front of Kohaku, blocking him from Sesshomaru's wrath with her tiny body.

Kagome noted Sesshomaru falter again before another image flooded Kagome's brain; an image very similar to the one she was looking at presently. Except in this image, it was the older Rin from before who stood defiantly in front of a crouching, much older looking Kohaku.

She wore the bright blue kimono that Kagome recognized from her latest vision, and had her arms spread out wide to protect the armor clad Kohaku. Her eyes glistened with tears in the moonlight as her eyes were set in a determined manner, while Kohaku looked on from behind her; fear evident in his dark brown depths.

Though, Kagome noted that it seemed he was more fearful for Rin's welfare than his own, for he set those fearful eyes in Rin's direction rather than straight ahead where Kagome presumed Sesshomaru would've stood.

Kagome blinked away the image as she stared at the much younger versions of the two, and noted that they stood just as their past selves had. It was as if they were mirror images of each other, the only difference being their varying ages.

"Rin..." Kohaku murmured as he reached out towards her before shrinking away with a blush when he noted Sesshomaru's disapproving gaze.

"Why can't I go to school with Kohaku?" Rin demanded to know, and hung her head slightly when she noted the displeasure at her defiance that was evident on Sesshomaru's face. His golden eyes narrowed as he stared down at her, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly forward, but those were the only small signs of his feelings. Kagome realized then that Sango and Kohaku would not know the severity of Sesshomaru's mood since they didn't know him as well as Rin did, nor were they able to read his thoughts like Kagome could.

"Let's talk about it later, Rin," Kagome reassured her lightly as Rin turned to look up at her in surprise. The little girl gave out a light sniffle before rubbing at her eyes with her shirt sleeve.

"Ok," she murmured softly as she continued to rub her eyes with her sleeve while her other arm fell limply to her side. She seemed more open to the possibility of a 'yes' rather than having to deal with an absolute 'no.' Kagome gave her a soft smile before she knelt down next to her as she affectionately patted Rin's arm before tugging on the arm that the little girl was hiding her eyes behind.

Rin reluctantly let Kagome pull her arms to her sides as she looked into her sad, young eyes.

"You don't need to cry, Rin," Kagome told her as she gently tapped the girl's chin, "you such a baby," she teased lightly as Rin gave her a watery smile. As she continued to console Rin, she felt Sesshomaru's thankfulness radiate in her mind on the account of her innate motherly reaction to the teary eyed girl.

"And don't worry," Kagome assured her in a whisper, "I'll make sure Sesshomaru lets you go to school with Kohaku," she added with a wink. Rin's smile showed her approval and excitement at the idea, and Kagome noted the boy behind her break out into another embarrassed blush.

Now all that was left was to convince Sesshomaru. A somewhat naughty smile appeared on Kagome's lips when she realized that she _did_ have a way to convince Sesshomaru, and she was pretty confident it would work without a hitch.

(Divider)

_I bet you all know what Kagome's thinking =) _

_P.S. I figured that I could make Kohaku an older 6th grader, since that happened to my little brother ^^ plus it helps in keeping the age gap true to form as well as make sure they have the possibility of having classes together. _

_Playlist for this chapter: Jewel: Hands, Kiss Me, Who Will Save Your Soul, You Were Meant for Me. K.D. Lang: Hallelujah. _

_Until next time!_


	26. The mark of the Spider

I'm so sorry that I've taken forever to update! I've been so busy with school and other various things that I never really had a lot of time to dedicate to my writing! Please forgive me, and I hope this chapter answers some questions and was well worth the wait!

Review Corner

PinkSlytherin: Thank you so much for your review! It's much appreciated :)

Dark Ravie: Thanks so much for your review too! I hope this ranks up to your expectations!

Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf: I always enjoy reading your animated reviews :] and I know that the whole scene with Sesshomaru firing everyone was kind of random, but it came to me as I was writing, and I meant it more as a humor point than anything. I guess you could say Sesshomaru and Kagome kind of took over me for a moment during that scene lol. Anyway, you'll find out a little more about why Sesshomaru was so hard on the present Kohaku in this chapter. Thanks again for your reviews! You always make my day!

XxBeautiful Black RosexX: glad you loved my chapter :D Hope you feel the same way for this chapter as well! Thanks for your review!

Crystal jade2: Again, I'm sorry I took so long to post this chapter up :( but I hope this one was worth the wait!

CutieSOS: Yup, I thought they were a cute couple, and they really seemed to latch onto me when I was writing this fic, so they'll most likely be the next big couple next to Sesshomaru and Kagome. Thanks so much for your review!

(Divider)

Kagome let out a long heave as she paused to catch her breath while resting her hand against the nearby brick wall. She couldn't believe that the tabloids still hadn't had enough of her yet! And to make matters worse, they believed that Sesshomaru dumped/fired her from InuTashio Corp. for another woman! The stories these people liked to make up!

Kagome let out a defeated sigh before yelping in surprise when she saw a large mass of people running in her direction. _Why won't these people give up already?_ She thought in exasperation before dashing down the street. It was times like these that Kagome questioned why she liked to wear high heels to work.

After another two blocks of non-stop sprinting, Kagome let out a happy cry when she spotted Sango's flower shop in the distance. She was almost there! She quickly altered directions before running towards the promise of a safe haven. After she'd get there, she could lock all the doors until the reporters got tired of waiting around for her and left.

She believed her plan was fool proof, truly did, until another mass of reporters seemed to somehow materialize in front of her and the entrance of the flower shop. Kagome let out a shriek of surprise before skidding to a stop in front of the dozen reporters.

"Ms. Higurashi, is it true that you were fired from InuTashio Corp.?" one reporter asked before shoving a microphone in her face.

"Did Sesshomaru Tashio get tired of you?" another asked curiously, shoving a few other reporters out of the way to get closer to her.

"Are you being replaced by Kagura, Sesshomaru's last secretary?" a third asked, and all of the reporters grouped around her stared at her expectedly, their gazes never wavering from Kagome's petrified face.

"Don't you guys ever get sick of following me around?" she burst out while fisting her hands at her waist in agitation, "and no I wasn't fired, I left! I'm _not_ getting replaced or tossed aside!" she added in rage before feeling a grow in energy filter into her aura. It almost felt like a warm security blanket that wrapped around her person. As it coiled around her she felt it also disperse onto the sidewalk like it were her shadow.

Gasps were heard all around as the reporters all took three steps back, all staring at Kagome in utter shock and denial.

"Now, if you know what's good for you...YOU"LL ALL LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kagome screamed out in frustration. Her desire was soon answered as all the reporters that had crowded around her scattered like a pack of terrified cockroaches.

It was only after they all left that Kagome realized her "shadow" had created a small crater in the sidewalk. A light touch of green at the edges of the crater hinted that it was her new power that had done the damage.

For all she knew, she had to have looked pretty intimidating to the rest of the humans around her.

"I knew you had a temper, Kagome, but this beats out any temper tantrum I've seen you go through," a young man's voice rang out with a light chuckle. Kagome turned to the sound of that voice to see the flower delivery boy from before leisurely leaning against the door frame of Sango's flower shop.

His orange/red hair rested against his eyebrows and over his ears in a weird cut that made it seem like his barber had accidentally dropped the razor a few too many times. His bright green eyes were also filled with good humor and mischief. Oddly, those eyes made Kagome think that she might have known this boy in another life. In _her_ other life.

"How would you know that about me? I hardly know you," Kagome pointed out, but was met with another one of his light chuckles. He barely looked over sixteen, and had to be right in the middle of high school at best. It irked her that this boy spoke to her almost like an elder would to an ignorant child.

"It doesn't really matter," he shrugged, "though I am curious why you're over here. This isn't InuTashio Corp. you know,"

"For your information, Sango hired me to fill in for Kohaku since he's heading back to school. It'll only be temporary, and it'll get me away from all the prying eyes at the company,"

"I suppose that's what happens when you decide to get a little too personal with the boss, huh?" the boy asked with a wink before laughing again when Kagome sent him an annoyed glance.

"Why don't you come inside? I'll show you around the place before I make my rounds for the day," he offered with a flick of his hand towards the store. Kagome supposed that there was no harm in getting a tour, not to mention she wanted to find out why she felt some kind of past connection with this boy.

"Thanks," she replied rather hesitantly, not really knowing how to feel about the mischief she saw in his eyes.

"You can relax," he joked before giving her a toothy grin, "I'm not going to _bite_ you," he teased.

"I know that!" Kagome scolded before lifting her chin up and walking into the shop like she was carrying the whole world on her shoulders. The action was only met with another laugh as the boy hurried in after her, his presence oddly making Kagome feel at peace. It felt like she had found the last piece to the puzzle, or found a lost family member.

_A lost family member..._Kagome repeated the latter possibility to herself before glancing over to the delivery boy again. He did look vaguely familiar. He had a short, upturned nose and large white teeth that seemed almost equivalent to Sesshomaru's fangs. And those green eyes...something about them made Kagome pause in thought. It was like she was looking straight at the answer, but wasn't really seeing it.

"And over here is the cash register," the boy pointed out, one long index finger pointing towards the edge of the store. Kagome followed the direction of his finger, only to let out a scream when a gigantic spider appeared on his hand.

He let out a loud laugh before the spider disappeared into a puff of green smoke, "Gotcha!" he shouted before erupting into a fit of boyish laughter.

Suddenly, it fit. His trickster ways, his orange/red hair, those green eyes. Kagome knew then that this was no ordinary weird haired boy, this was someone she knew. Someone she had loved, and had missed for a very long time.

"Shippo?" she asked softly, the name suddenly causing tears that she didn't even understand the reason behind to form in her eyes.

"That's my name," he stated with another toothy grin, "why, what's wrong, Kagome?"

"No, Shippo...it's me, Kagome," Kagome stressed as she rested her hands against her chest, "Kagome," she repeated again.

"I know your name," he laughed, "you don't need to remind me, not to mention your face is all over the news – "

Shippo was unable to finish his sentence, for in the next moment he was brought suffocatingly close to Kagome's body as she held onto him for dear life.

"Shippo...it's been so long," Kagome murmured while tightening her arms around his neck, "I thought I'd never see you again," she added in a small whisper.

"I thought you'd _never_ remember the past...or me...Mom," Shippo whispered back before wrapping his arms around her waist. Kagome felt the tears that had formed in her eyes a little earlier begin to stream down her cheeks like waterfalls as she held in the need to sob outright in her adoptive son's arms.

"After you left the village, Inuyasha and I never thought we'd see you again," Kagome stated with a light hiccup, "we didn't know if you found that girl and were happy, or if you were even alive,"

"I was happy, for a time," Shippo offered somewhat solemnly, "I found her, the girl I was in love with when I was younger. We lived together for as long as her human life would allow. Which felt like nothing at all to me," he added gravely.

Kagome felt her heart break to hear how sad and lonely Shippo sounded. She took a step back out of their embrace to stare up at him with both love and wonder. For here stood her son, no longer a little boy, but a man.

His face had thinned and matured from that lovable fox demon he had been as a child when he had first tagged along with her and Inuyasha. He had grown as well! He was nearly the same height as Inuyasha, give or take a few inches. His transformation was what Kagome believed had stopped her from realizing that her son had been alive this whole time.

She did note that Shippo was as skinny as ever though. He hadn't filled out or made it to his full transformation into adulthood yet.

"How old are you now, Shippo?" Kagome asked, curious as to how long it took Shippo to even reach his teenage years.

"About four hundred," he replied, a number that nearly caused Kagome to faint in shock.

"F-Four hundred? But how is that possible, you don't look older than sixteen!"

"That's because of the demon blood in me. It's both a gift and a curse,"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, hating the sound of bitterness that she heard in Shippo's voice. Was it so wrong of her to only want the best for her son?

"I never looked older than a six year old child for close to one hundred years," he began, "even when I met up with the girl I was in love with as a child, I never aged like she did. I guess you could say I loved her at a distance. I wasn't a potential lover in her mind, I was just a kid, and I would always remain a kid. In her mind even when she died in my arms, that's all I was to her, a close friend that was stuck being a kid for a long span of time. But I wasn't, at least not mentally. I felt like a grown man stuck in a kid's body. All my desires, all my dreams of marriage and children were only fantasies for me until my body matured. It's hard when the passage of time tampers with love," he explained with a heartbroken sigh.

"And when I went to find you after suffering over my loss of the love of my life, I found out that you and Inuyasha had already passed away at a young age,"

"How did you find out?" Kagome asked, though kept the fact that she was surprised to hear that she had died to herself. Death was a natural process that everyone went through, and she had to have died to have been born in this time.

"Sesshomaru told me, over three hundred years ago" Shippo replied, "after you two fought Naraku together, he said that Naraku had tricked you into thinking he was gone for good. Supposedly, a body part of his was still alive, and it stabbed you through the heart when you ran to protect Sesshomaru from getting swallowed up or controlled by Naraku,"

"Does that mean that the Naraku that's in this time is the same Naraku that had killed me in the past?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"I suppose so," Shippo replied, "he did have the same scent as the old one. I went to your office a few days after the delivery to see if I could talk to you, maybe bring back some suppressed memories from the past, but then I found out that you were out sick. It didn't help matters much that Naraku's stench filled your entire office and half of the hallway," he finished with an idle twitch of his nose.

"Why couldn't you have found me sooner?" Kagome asked then, wondering if she would have remembered him without going through her flashbacks in her dreams.

"Sesshomaru had a barrier put up after the first Naraku appearance. I couldn't go anywhere near the building without getting the hairs on my neck or arms singed," he informed her while idly rubbing his arm with his hand.

"If that's true...then how did Naraku's minions get in?" Kagome asked, though Shippo shook his head.

"The only way that I could think to get in would be to break through the barrier. But wouldn't Sesshomaru have felt something if that happened?" Shippo asked back. Kagome could only shrug. Did one of Naraku's followers know how to break through a barrier? And if so, who could it be?

"You better be careful, Kagome," Shippo said sternly, the fire that had been in his spirit as a child still a light in his emerald eyes, "I don't want to lose you again. It hurt enough losing my real mother,"

"I know," Kagome murmured, "and I promise that I'll stay alive. For you, and for everyone else,"

"It's so great to have you back, Kagome," Shippo replied with a gentle smile, the happiness apparent on his face, "but I'll have to get used to the fact that you're Sesshomaru's mate now instead of Inuyasha's," he added with a wry grin before gently poking her in the arm.

"Since when did the full demon pull you away from the half one?" he asked with a wrinkle of his brows. Kagome gave him an annoyed glare before crossing her arms over her chest.

"You shouldn't talk about that around me, Shippo," she told him politely, but she was sure her son knew by her body language that he needed to steer clear of _that_ topic. He let out a small awkward laugh before standing upright and taking a slight step back.

"Whatever you say Kagome," he added before giving her a short wave, "Gotta go!" he added while hurrying away to go run the rest of his errands, and possibly get away from her. Kagome wanted to call out to him to stay, but hesitated. She knew that he needed the job he had now. From what he told her when they first met in this lifetime, he still had no family to speak of. Did that mean that he never fell in love again? Never let anyone else in?

"It had to have been so lonely for him," Kagome murmured to herself sadly, wondering how her adoptive son could have fared all this time alone. _Could he still be the same fox demon that I knew so long ago?_ She thought, picturing the young demon that was small enough then to be held like a stuffed animal. He had even looked the part too.

"Excuse me young lady, but are you new here?" a gentle, and slightly hoarse, voice asked as Kagome blinked out of her imaginings. She glanced down only to spot an old woman standing before her with a basket of cookies hooked on one arm. The most cliché, typical old woman image Kagome could have ever thought up, though Kagome kept that observation to herself.

"Yes, I am. I'm filling in for Kohaku while he's at school," Kagome replied with a smile.

"Oh I see," the woman sighed, "I was hoping to give these to him, but I suppose I could give them to you instead. I wouldn't want them to go to waste," she added with a kind smile.

"Oh, that's so nice," Kagome returned the woman's smile, "thank you,"

"Of course, my dear, but tell me. Why is a girl as professional looking as you working for this flower shop?" the mystery woman asked, eying Kagome's two piece suit.

"Oh, I guess I'm still in my old job frame of mind," Kagome laughed awkwardly while slightly scratching the back of her head. The woman gave her a skeptical look before giving her a slight shrug.

"It's your life, my dear, do with it what you want," she replied softly as Kagome studied the older woman for a moment. She seemed so familiar, and yet Kagome knew for certain that she had never seen her before in her life.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Kagome couldn't help but ask. The older woman's eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment before she too took the time to study Kagome for a moment as well. When Kagome saw no recognition spark in the older woman's dark eyes, she knew she must've been mistaken.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," the woman replied with a slight shake of her head, "but you may call me Kaede, that's what everyone else calls me,"

(Begin dream)

Kagome sat idly in the large chamber that had been assigned to her by Sesshomaru, and was presently looking out at the fields that surrounded the massive fortress. She had followed similar solitary behaviors for the past few weeks since she had been forced to stay there against her will.

Her eyelids lowered over her dark eyes as she felt them water, unprovoked. Though, she was not surprised by the action since she had been crying for no reason for just as long as she had been confined to her...prison.

By Sesshomaru's orders she was to remain in her chambers for the remainder of her days. The dog demon saw her as a nuisance that he didn't want to deal with on a daily basis, especially when he was expecting other demon guests to be around.

On any other occasion Kagome would've fought against the arrogant demon's ludicrous rule, but being that she was still mourning over her lost lover, she complied without a word. Now she regretted keeping her mouth shut.

_I can't stay confined here forever_, she thought sadly as she gazed out the window. She continued to admire the plant life that was most likely Rin's doing until something red caught her eye, and her dark brown orbs brightened in the hopes that it was Inuyasha's red fire rat kimono.

_Inuyasha! _Kagome wanted to scream out the window, scream out for the whole world to hear so she could be saved from this wretched place and loved once more by the man she cared for. But, upon further inspection, she noted that it was indeed a red kimono, but it wasn't Inuyasha's.

It hung on a clothes line a few yards away from the castle, and looked like it had been set out to dry. It had various black octagonal patterns that were scattered across the red fabric that oddly reminded Kagome of a warrior's uniform. But she was _sure_ she had never seen such a design before.

A second later she spotted a man walking towards it with his back to her. He had dark brown hair that was held up in a high ponytail, and wore what looked like a plain brown kimono that seemed to be made of either wheat or straw. His high ponytail made Kagome instantly think of Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, and when he turned towards the castle she noted in surprise that it _was_ him.

He still had that boyish face of his even though he was clearly in his older teens, and had soft brown eyes that reminded Kagome so much of her dear friend Sango. Kagome's eyes watered yet again as she wondered how the demon slayer and monk were doing.

After they had their third child, Miroku and Sango had agreed to travel and see if they could rebuild Sango's demon slaying village that was horribly destroyed years before by Naraku.

After that, Kagome and Inuyasha had never seen their traveling companions again. But they remained optimistic, and hoped that wherever they were...they were happy.

Shippo had also left the village after Rin had said her goodbyes and moved in with Sesshomaru about four years ago. His hopes of earning Rin's love had been scattered at the disapproving glances he had received from the protective dog demon before the two departed.

The fox demon, with his tail lodged between his legs, went off in search of the other young human girl he had fallen in love with as a child. Though his body hadn't aged, his mind had. He had told Kagome and Inuyasha that he would be back once he found her, and would hope for their blessing since he didn't have any other family to speak of.

He too, had never been seen again.

_My family,_ Kagome thought sadly as she bit her lower lip and let her bangs fall over her eyes. She didn't know why she wanted to conceal her tears; it wasn't like there was anyone she was hiding them _from_.

The only hope she had left was...her family back home in her own time. If she could just get back to the well, maybe the magic would still work and she could return. But, she'd have to figure out how to escape from Sesshomaru's clutches first.

Kagome's thoughts were scattered when she spotted, out of the corner of her eye, another figure walking towards Kohaku. Upon further inspection she realized that it was a young woman walking towards Kohaku as the mystery woman raised one dainty hand to wave at the young man. Kagome saw Kohaku's lips pull back in a smile before he wrapped his arms around the woman and slowly spun her in a circle before placing her gently back on the ground.

This action caused the woman to finally face Kagome's direction, and she noted that it was Rin who had gone to talk with Kohaku. She had her hair up in a low bun (an action the girl never seemed to do) and wore a yellow silk kimono that had daisies sewn prettily around her body.

Kagome's eyes softened in both happiness and envy as she watched the two lovers embrace before they shared a quick kiss. How she missed spending days like that with Inuyasha, and she wondered if she could ever find someone in her lifetime to love her as much as Inuyasha had.

Soon, the sight of the two was too much to bare, and Kagome moved away from the window to lay atop the large mattress situated in the middle of the room. She spread her body across the feathered mattress as she rested one arm on her forehead while the other laid limply at her side.

She was about to fall asleep for the third time that day when a knock sounded at her door. She turned her head towards the door before softly calling for the person to enter.

A young woman entered then with a tray of food, and kept her eyes downcast. Her thick, light pink hair was braided down her back and she wore the basic kimono of a servant. Kagome had seen the young woman everyday since she had first arrived, and still the demoness seemed terribly frightened of her.

Kagome sat up slowly as she detected the demonic aura that swirled around the young woman crackle with her pure one for a moment before she gently shook her head at her.

"Take it back. I don't want it," Kagome commanded gently as the woman's eyes snapped to hers, dark brown to purple, before she blushed prettily and bowed her head.

"Please Miss," the young demoness murmured shyly, "you haven't eaten more than one meal a day these past few weeks. If humans do not eat, they die," she added before letting out a gasp and Kagome noted tears prickle at the ends of her eyes before she bowed her head deeply in respect.

"Please forgive me, I do not mean to come off as rude," she apologized, "but you _do_ need to eat, Miss," she added as she took a few more steps towards her with the tray of food.

"I already told you no," Kagome reminded her as the young woman flinched before she visibly gulped and proceeded another step.

"Please, Miss," she practically begged her while taking another apprehensive step closer, "if you refuse another meal, Lord Sesshomaru will be displeased," she whispered fearfully. Kagome's eyebrows narrowed slightly at that, and she wondered if the demoness was acting so fearful because of _her_, or of what her lord could possibly do to her.

"He's the last person _I'd_ ever do anything for," Kagome dismissed as she glared towards the doorway, her only _real_ way out of this prison, "he's the reason why I'm stuck here in the first place,"

"But if you do not eat your meal, then Lord Sesshomaru will assume that I am not doing what I should be, and," she visibly gulped again, "I'll be killed,"

"Why would he kill you? I'm the one who's refusing the food," Kagome asked back, wondering just what kind of fortress Sesshomaru was in control of.

"He has killed others over far less offenses," the young woman replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "and though Rin has softened our lord incredibly, she only holds so much power over him. She's already saved me numerous times before when Lord Sesshomaru was displeased with me and had his claws on my throat. I just don't know how long his patience with me will stand," she voiced in worry as her hands began to shake, causing the silverware to clatter slightly against the steel tray.

"No one crosses Lord Sesshomaru if they want to live, and disobeying a command is blatant disrespect in his eyes. If you reject your meal just once more, he will surely take it as me disrespecting his authority and...kill me," she murmured as Kagome's eyes softened at the young woman. It was rare to see such an emotional demoness, and Kagome couldn't help but be reminded of Shippo when she looked at her.

He too, was an emotional demon who never felt the need to keep his emotionless facade up when it came to voicing out his fears and worries to others.

"You can leave the plate then," Kagome murmured, ultimately giving in to the girl, "I probably won't eat it, but you've done your job so you don't need to worry about Sesshomaru getting mad," she added as the woman's eyes brightened before she gave her a curt nod and placed the platter on the table nearest to Kagome's bed.

"Thank you, Miss," she murmured repeatedly as she gave her a low bow before shuffling out of the room. Kagome watched her go before letting out a sigh as she laid back down on the bed.

"At least that's over," she breathed as she shut her eyes, intent this time to just sleep away the solitary hours. There was only one problem though; her mind didn't want to shut up. Thoughts began to circulate in her mind, thoughts about the young demoness, Sesshomaru, and lastly, Rin and Kohaku.

Images of each as well as their soft whispers played in her thoughts like an old recorder as memories from the past flooded her brain. Images of a much younger Rin traveling with Sesshomaru, Kohaku and Sango spending such a fleeting period together as true brother and sister, and the curious behavior of the demoness servant who Kagome didn't even know the name of. She'd have to ask the young woman the next time she came in with food. Food that Kagome would most likely deny, again.

_Wait_, she thought after a moment as she stared up at the ceiling with idle eyes, _why would __**Sesshomaru**__ be displeased if I'm not eating?_ _It's not like I'm doing him any favors by staying alive. He'd probably throw a party with all his demon friends when I finally decide to kick the bucket_, Kagome finished sarcastically in her mind as her eyelids drooped over her dark eyes, and she gave out a light huff.

"Lady Kagome!" Rin's light voice called out excitedly as Kagome peaked through one eyelid to glance at the young woman in the doorway. Rin was wearing the same kimono that Kagome had seen her in outside, and was surprised that she couldn't even tell that the young woman was pregnant.

It looked like whoever had dressed her had put her in over five layers of clothing, the sheer amount of fabric hiding the obvious swell of her abdomen. Upon further inspection Kagome also noticed that Rin was wearing one of the high class kimono's Kagome had only seen the elite demons wear around the castle.

"Your kimono..." Kagome murmured as Rin glanced down at her clothes before she fingered the top layer with a slight smile.

"Another gift from Lord Sesshomaru," she replied, "he does tend to spoil me sometimes," she added with a soft giggle.

"At least he lets you do what you want," Kagome groaned as she fell back on the bed with a tired sigh.

"Not always," Rin pointed out, "I can't go with him when he travels across the Western borders anymore, or when he goes to conduct business with other demons. I'm pretty sure he still thinks I'm seven years old," she added with a pout before crossing her arms over her chest in agitation.

"He's probably worried it'll be too dangerous for you," Kagome murmured as she glanced up at the ceiling, pondering over the strange relationship Sesshomaru and Rin had. It was obvious that Rin was in love with Kohaku, but was Sesshomaru in love with Rin? Sesshomaru seemed a bit overbearing and overprotective of the young woman, traits that Inuyasha usually portrayed whenever there was a possibility of _her_ getting hurt.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rin shrugged as her eyes lowered to the ground for a moment in thought before a smile brightened her features as she shuffled over to sit on the edge of Kagome's bed.

"How are you doing, Lady Kagome?" she asked softly as Kagome turned her dark eyes to glance into Rin's cinnamon orbs. There was such acceptance and understanding in her bright brown eyes that Kagome couldn't help the tears that began to water in her own dark eyes. Rin practically oozed a gentle aura that made Kagome feel important and helpless all at the same time.

"Oh Rin..." Kagome sobbed, suddenly unable to control herself, "I miss Inuyasha," she let out in a watery hiss as a hot tear traveled down her cheek.

"Lady Kagome..." Rin murmured sadly before she bent down to embrace Kagome gently, "do not feel afraid to let out your pain, I'm sure it's been hard on you," she whispered as Kagome bent into the young woman's embrace and felt Rin begin to run her fingers nimbly through the strands of her hair. It was a soothing action that reminded Kagome of her mother back in her own time, and it surprised her. She had never pegged Rin as the motherly type. She supposed she thought that Rin would have forever remained the rambunctious child she had been when they had first met.

"I lost my whole family when my village was attacked by bandits," Rin informed her then while she continued to run her fingers through Kagome's thick black tresses, "so I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. It hurts, and I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. But don't give up hope. After I lost all my family, Lord Sesshomaru was there to save me. He gave me the life that I was certain I'd never get again. I'm sure someone will come and save you too, Lady Kagome," Rin reassured her as Kagome wrapped her arms around Rin's waist and silently enjoyed the closeness of another's presence.

"It just isn't fair," Kagome murmured after a time as Rin shushed her gently.

"I know," Rin replied kindly, "but you'll get through it. You're strong. Much stronger than _I_ could ever be," she added lightly.

"I don't _feel_ strong," Kagome whispered weakly, "I'm stuck here against my will, and I can't even go see my family," she went on with another sob.

"But I thought you were happy here with Lord Sesshomaru," Rin replied in surprise with a blink.

"No, it's because of _him_ that Inuyasha's dead. If Sesshomaru hadn't held me back, I could've stopped him before he ran off to go fight Naraku on his own," Kagome informed her as she growled the traitorous dog demon's name.

"But Lord Sesshomaru is kind. You'll see," Rin reassured her warmly, "I'm sure he'll warm up to you, and you to him, once you remain here a little longer. Besides, I was kind of hoping you'd keep him company when Kohaku and I leave," Rin added.

"Leave?" Kagome parroted back in surprise. What would she do without Rin living in the castle? Rin was the only other human left, not to mention the only one that Sesshomaru liked! Without her...who knew what kind of demon Sesshomaru could revert back into...

"Yes, once the baby is born," Rin replied, "Lord Sesshomaru has set aside a good amount of land with an adorable cabin for Kohaku and I to live off of for the rest of our human life. There are beautiful flowers planted all around it, and enough crops to make and sell medicine in the nearby village to sustain us for generations," she added with a delighted smile.

"That's wonderful Rin," Kagome commented, though knew that her voice sounded hollow and lifeless, "but how can I warm up to him when he prevents me from even leaving this room?" Kagome asked her as Rin's eyes saddened slightly before her expression brightened and she took a hold of Kagome's hand.

"Let's go for a walk then! Out in the gardens!" Rin insisted, and Kagome let out a surprised grasp at the young woman's strength as she tugged her out of the bed without so much as a grunt of effort.

"Rin I – " Kagome began, but paused when she she realized something. Though she had been speaking with Rin for the past few minutes, it took her until then to notice that her hair was down. She had seen Rin a little while ago with her hair in a bun talking outside with Kohaku, not to mention she had somehow gotten up to the top of the castle in a matter of minutes.

"Rin...how did you get to my room?" Kagome asked as the young woman turned to glance back at her .

"I walked of course!" she giggled before noting Kagome's worried expression, "what are you thinking about, Lady Kagome?" she asked in a curious tone.

"I just saw you outside with Kohaku, but then you knocked on my door a few minutes later. How is that possible?" Kagome asked as Rin gave her a slight smile as she shook her head.

"I was never outside with Kohaku, I was in my room resting. You must be seeing things, Lady Kagome. It's more reason for us to go out for a walk together," Rin offered. Kagome turned to look back at her window, and wondered if Kohaku was still out there.

"Let me see something," Kagome murmured as Rin let go of her wrist so she could make her way over to the other side of the room. As Kagome neared she heard Rin's soft footfalls as the young woman made her way to Kagome's side to peak out the window as well.

Kohaku was indeed still out there, and Kagome noted that the other Rin was also with him. The Rin by her side let out a gasp of surprise as her eyes squinted at her look-alike.

"But I'm here...so who could _that_ be?" Rin asked as the two women continued to stare down at the two. Kohaku grabbed a hold of the other Rin's arm as he pulled the woman close. Kagome saw Rin stiffen next to her, and Kagome could practically taste the worry and jealous radiating off the young woman as she watched the look-alike lock lips with her lover.

"Kohaku," Rin ground her teeth together as Kagome watched her unlock the bedroom window. Kagome didn't realize what the woman planned on doing until the windows were flung open and Rin hung herself halfway out to call to the man a few stories below.

"KOHAKU!" Rin screamed as Kagome let out a gasp before grabbing a hold of Rin's hips to make sure she didn't go crashing down to the ground face first. The two standing on the ground glanced up at the sound of Rin's scream, and Kagome saw Kohaku tense before he glanced between the two Rins that he was now presently aware of.

He quickly let go of the look-alike before glancing up at the real Rin dangling out of the window.

"Get back inside Rin! You'll fall!" he yelled back as he took a few steps towards the castle, "I'm coming up," he added meekly when he noted the angered look that Rin sent his way from the window. Kagome's eyes narrowed as she noted the Rin look-alike begin to morph her shape as Kohaku began to jog towards the large entrance.

"Look out!" Kagome cried out as Kohaku glanced up at her for a moment in surprise.

"Lady Kagome?" he called back in disbelief, but was then pushed down to the ground by a set of dark brown tentacles. Rin pushed against the windowsill to get herself back inside the castle, and whirled around in Kagome's hold.

"I need to get to him," Rin stated determinedly, though faltered slightly as she rested her weight against the windowsill with a labored breath.

"Rin, are you alright? You shouldn't be moving in your condition," Kagome advised as Rin let out another sharp breath before gently pushing Kagome's arm aside.

"Our baby will not grow up without a father," she promised herself confidentially as she bravely pushed herself off the windowsill and took a few strong steps towards the door. She looked like she wasn't carrying any extra weight at all for a few seconds...until her body lurched forward and she rested her hand on the door frame to use it as support. When Kagome offered a hand to help, Rin merely shook her head and braved another few steps towards the stairs.

"Go a head of me, Lady Kagome," Rin pleaded after a few fruitless minutes of climbing down the stairs. Her bangs were stuck to her forehead, and she had beads of sweat traveling down the sides of her face. They had only gotten down five steps, and Rin already looked utterly exhausted. Kagome couldn't blame her. When Kagome had seen her earlier that day in her sleeping kimono the woman's stomach was large enough to suggest that she could be expecting either twins or triplets easily.

"I won't leave you here alone! What if you fall down the stairs?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"_You_ can actually put up a fight against that thing that tricked Kohaku into thinking it was me," Rin fought back.

"Rin," Sesshomaru's disapproving voice rang in the hall as the two women turned in surprise to see the dog demon making his way up the stairs with an obvious scowl as he kept his auric eyes trained on Rin's form.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Kohaku is in trouble, please – "

"Enough," he silenced her as he closed the distance between them and turned those icy eyes in Kagome's direction. Against her stubborn nature, Kagome felt a shiver go down her spine at the innate fear that all living creatures felt when they got caught in a predators line of vision. But she was going to be the last person on the planet who was going to actually _show_ the demon what kind of affect he had on her. So, instead of cowering away from him like she wanted to, she lifted her chin up defiantly to meet his gaze head on.

His eyes narrowed at her bold action, and he studied her for a moment before speaking,

"As a fellow female, _priestess_, you should know that Rin is in no condition to be walking up and down stairs," he stated in his signature emotionless voice as Kagome narrowed her eyes at him in return.

"I know she isn't! I'm not stupid! She wanted to go on her own because she's worried about Kohaku!" Kagome explained as she fisted her hands at waist level in agitation. Why was it always the dog demons who got on her nerves? _Sesshomaru can be just like his brother sometimes_, Kagome thought angrily, comparing him to the numerous times that Inuyasha had driven her nearly insane with his constant nagging of her character.

The instant she finished the thought, an image of an angry Inuyasha appeared in her mind. His little dog ears were plastered to the top of his silvery head and his lips were pulled down in a frown while his dark golden eyes were narrowed in agitation. To top things off, she could practically hear him telling her that she was an idiot with a scowl. Kagome relished in the memory for a moment before sadly pushing the image to the far reaches of her mind, finding that she had finally become numb to the pain of remembering Inuyasha.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please go to him," Rin pleaded as her grip tightened on the staircase railing, "he is being attacked by some sort of demon right outside of these walls, and I fear for his life," she added, and Kagome noted the dog demon's stature falter slightly at the sight of the tears that were glistening in Rin's light brown eyes.

"Hn," he scoffed softly before leaping past the two women, and out the nearest open window. Kagome blinked in surprise at his random action before (with a slight gasp of disbelief) she realized how high they were. She quickly rushed to the window that Sesshomaru had just jumped out of, and saw that the dog demon had already landed on the ground. He had also already made his way over to the demon that was still holding Kohaku captive.

The creature seemed to have sensed Sesshomaru's presence for it made a quick leap out of the range of Sesshomaru's claws when he had moved to strike. She saw Kohaku stagger as he was released from the demon's hold, but he quickly recovered and whirled around to face the unknown opponent.

Kagome noted the two men exchange a few words before Sesshomaru disappeared from sight, most likely using his demonic speed, to suddenly appear behind the demon. It let out a faint cry of surprise before encircling a tentacle around one of Sesshomaru's legs.

The dog demon merely stayed put, and Kagome wondered for the briefest of moments if Sesshomaru had _let_ the demon capture him. It tugged the dog demon closer, and Kagome caught the sight of a faint smirk as Sesshomaru cleanly cut the tentacle holding him captive with a quick sweep of his claws.

In the next moment he appeared before the novel demon and decapitated it without so much as a twitch from his opponent. Kagome watched as Kohaku hurried over to Sesshomaru's side to bow before him. Kagome didn't miss the look of cold disapproval that the dog demon returned to the young human in response. Sesshomaru was obviously disappointed that he had been forced to protect Kohaku.

Kagome was too far to hear what they said, but she watched as Kohaku's eyebrows furrowed forward in anger for a split second before his face cleared and he gave the demon another respectful bow.

"Is Kohaku alright?" Rin asked from behind Kagome. Kagome noted that her breathes were coming out hoarse and heavy, and she feared for the young woman's health. Rin needed bed rest, especially because she was so close to her expected date.

"He's fine," Kagome assured her softly as she glanced back at the two men. When she looked closer at Kohaku though her breath hitched at the sight of blood on his kimono. It was near the left side of his chest, and seemed to be vastly staining his clothing.

"Kohaku's hurt," Kagome heard Rin gasp when the young woman moved to glance out the window. Kagome grabbed a hold of Rin's shoulders when she felt the her move towards the window, as if she intended on jumping out of it to reach Kohaku.

"I'll make sure to treat his wounds," Kagome promised her, but she waited until Rin looked back at her to continue, "you need to rest before you keel over from exhaustion," she added as gently as possible as Rin let out a sigh before reluctantly nodding.

"Will you send him to me once you finish cleaning his wounds?" Rin asked timidly, and all Kagome could do was nod. The sheer agony and worry she saw in Rin's eyes were enough to give Kagome a case of deja vu.

Rin left her a moment later without a word, both women understanding the stress and tension that an expecting mother would be subjected to. Kagome, from having learned all there was to child birth and rearing in high school as well as from Kaede. Rin, clearly from first hand experience.

Kagome waited until she saw Rin go into her bedroom before she bounded down the stairs in search of the two men. She had no equipment nor knew what kind of herbs and medicines Sesshomaru had stored in his fortress. Either way, she knew that it was up to her to help Kohaku. Kagome hadn't the faintest idea if Sesshomaru or any of his servants had any experience with treating human wounds, given the fact that the majority of them were demons.

Once she made it all the way to the entrance, Kagome spotted Sesshomaru speaking with one of the demons stationed at the door while Kohaku wobbled his way in on his own. The two demons seemed able to sense (or smell) Kagome's presence for they both turned when she made it to the foot of the stairs.

Both demons gave her cold stares as they studied her like she was some sort of foreign object. Kagome didn't let her observation affect her personally as she sent Sesshomaru a glare. The dog demon's eyes merely narrowed in response, and Kagome didn't miss the fact that his aura was rising around him. A loud crack of energy filled the hall for a moment, pink to green, as the two held each other's gazes for a silent moment.

Though Kagome hadn't felt the least bit threatened by Sesshomaru's wave of energy, she knew that he hadn't done it to harm her. He had used it as a warning. He obviously didn't like that she wouldn't stand down when his eyes told her otherwise.

Kagome broke the eye contact first as she rushed to Kohaku's side to provide some support for him. He whispered a quick thank you before letting some of his weight fall upon Kagome's waiting shoulders as she wound his right arm around the back of her neck to keep him standing.

"You could've helped him inside, you know," Kagome scolded as she passed the two demons, her dark brown eyes singling Sesshomaru out.

"Lord Sesshomaru would not stoop so low as to help a human," the guard next to Sesshomaru snorted. Kagome altered her gaze to the guard as she sent him a wave of her pure aura. She hadn't thought through the action, merely acted on an impulse. An impulse that she soon regretted. The guard let out a surprised breath before being roughly pushed back against the wall from the sheer force of her power. Sesshomaru hadn't even flinch when it collided with him, though Kagome's pure energy wasn't even able to get him to stagger.

The guard, on the other hand, obviously was having a hard time dealing with Kagome's energy, and after a few seconds, began choking on it. Sesshomaru watched the torture idly for a moment before glancing back at Kagome.

"That's enough, priestess," he stated as Kagome let her power evaporate into the air. The guard fell to his knees before taking big gulps of thankful air, his body shaking faintly from the sudden return of his strength.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to go that far," Kagome apologized when she noted the pain on the guard's face. Even though his comment had bothered her, Kagome knew that there was no need for her to stoop so low as to use violence against him. If she hadn't stopped when she had, she most likely would have killed him when his only offense had been ignorance.

"While it was obvious Kyoto needed to be put in his place, I'd prefer it if you didn't purify any more of the demons on my premises," Sesshomaru stated politely, his icy cold voice both stern and somewhat charming. The latter observation unnerved Kagome a little, but she pushed her thoughts to the side when she remembered that she was still supporting a wounded Kohaku.

"Do you have any medicine in this castle?" Kagome asked while motioning her head towards Kohaku, "because he's going to need some,"

"Rin keeps all of her herbs in the kitchen," Sesshomaru replied coolly while inclining his head towards the right, "its down the hallway to your left,"

"Thank you," Kagome replied rather awkwardly. She had noted that Sesshomaru hadn't mentioned anything about her being outside of her room. Did he assume that she'd sulk right back into it after she finished caring for Kohaku? _Fat chance_, she thought with a slight roll of her eyes.

Sesshomaru said nothing more as he turned away from her and walked in the opposite direction. Kagome wasn't sure where he was going (or to whom) but he seemed to ultimately dismiss them altogether.

_Forget charming, he's just a big jerk!_ Kagome thought as she glared after him. _He hadn't even offered to help me carry Kohaku,_ she thought while puffing out her cheeks in agitation. Speaking of Kohaku, the man let out a tired moan as he rested more of his body weight against Kagome and she let out a squeak of surprise. Seeing that standing by the entrance was getting them nowhere, Kagome tugged Kohaku along to the room that Sesshomaru had spoken of.

Each door they passed looked very similar to the last as Kagome counted a few doors before choosing one. Hoping that the one she chose was the kitchen, she turned the black knob with her right hand and thrust the door open.

A large fireplace with an assortment of breads and fruits stared back at her as Kagome let out a breath of relief. This had to be the kitchen. In a castle full of demons, Kagome couldn't imagine there being human food in any other room than the kitchen.

Kagome moved to set Kohaku down on a wooden chair near the door as she searched around the large room for any kind of herbs or medicines in the drawers. It didn't take her long to spot a large amount of healing herbs and already prepared medicines in a cupboard above the breads. _Good ol' Rin,_ Kagome thought with a smile as she grabbed one of the medicines that would disinfect wounds as well as another that would dull Kohaku's pain.

"La – Lady Kagome," Kohaku murmured while weakly moving his head up to look at her when she knelt down beside him, "Is Rin alright?" he asked desperately as Kagome tugged part of his kimono off his wounded shoulder.

"She's fine. I sent her off to rest," Kagome assured him as she rubbed her fingers in the paste-like substance that the disinfectant herb was mixed in with. Kagome then spread it across the hole that had been made through Kohaku's chest.

"That demon got the best of me when my guard was down," Kohaku defended himself after noting Kagome's study of his gaping wound, "I hadn't realized that it had pierced me until I felt the blood begin to spill on my kimono,"

"You just need to be more aware of your surroundings," Kagome replied gently as she moved around him to patch up the hole on his back.

"That's what Lord Sesshomaru said," Kohaku muttered, "more or less," he added after a pause.

Kagome glanced at the back of Kohaku's head for a moment as she dipped her hand back into the herbal mixture. She was about to rub the substance on Kohaku's back when she saw his skin suddenly begin to repair itself. The muscles reattached, the tendons connected, and then the skin sewed itself back together. Kagome could only stare it awe at his back for a moment before glancing back at the herbal medicine. Had Rin done something to it to make it work immensely fast?

Kagome glanced at Kohaku's back one more time before she noted a scar that ended at the sight where the hole used to be. Unable to help her curiosity Kagome pulled at the edge of Kohaku's kimono to follow the scar. He didn't object as she stripped the material from him until his entire back was bare to her eyes.

What she saw next surprised her. In the middle of Kohaku's back was a large scar in the shape of a spider.

(End dream)

Kagome awoke with a start as she gasped for air before rubbing the beads of sweat off her brow. Her dream had been far longer and far more informative than the last ones she had, but why? Were more detail oriented memories from the past coming back to her now?

She glanced to her right to spot Sesshomaru resting peacefully at her side, one arm lying across his forehead while the other rested limply at his side. A position that Kagome noted she had done in her dream.

A soft smile tugged at her lips as she studied him for a moment before sliding out of bed, mindful of his acute hearing. Though Kagome knew that Sesshomaru was most likely awake, she figured she could be courteous just the same.

She quietly tip toed over to the window as she gazed out at the moon in silence. Something about it seemed almost mystical to her that night. The sight of the full moon always had its way of soothing her overpowering mind, and helped Kagome piece together her thoughts when they became too scattered in her brain.

However, one certain image wouldn't leave her thoughts. The scar in the shape of a spider that had been on Kohaku's back. It plagued her like a message she couldn't make out or understand. What could it mean? Why did it cause a feeling of dread to manifest in Kagome's stomach at the mere thought of it?

"Naraku," Sesshomaru's baritone voice spoke softly as Kagome turned to glance back at him in mild surprise. He hadn't even budged from his spot on the bed, "Naraku's mark is the spider,"

"Why would he go after Kohaku?" Kagome asked in puzzlement.

"To get to Rin, and then to me," Sesshomaru replied, his voice mirroring the coldness his past self had had in Kagome's dream.

"Is that why you wanted to fire Kohaku earlier?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I don't want Rin getting close to him, not while Naraku is still around," he replied levelly, "I will not allow that _boy_ to repeat what he had done to Rin in the past. If Naraku still has some control over him in the present, then I don't doubt he'll take over Kohaku's mind once again,"

"What did he do, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked gently, though could sense the anger that filled his mind at the mere thought of the past. Whatever Kohaku had done, it hadn't been good.

"He killed her," he replied as if he were telling her that the day was Monday. Kagome took in a sharp breath as her eyes watered as the flashback she had had days before flashed in her mind.

Rin lay sprawled atop a marble-like table as her lifeless eyes stared up at an odd angle at nothing in particular. Kagome had only focused on her face when she had first seen the image, but with a second look Kagome spotted blood stains on the young woman's priceless dark blue kimono. The inflicted wound went straight through her abdomen, most likely killing her along with her unborn child.

"I'm so sorry, Sesshomaru," she murmured without hesitation. Kagome still wasn't sure of her relationship with Rin in the past, but the present Rin had already stolen her heart. She couldn't imagine a life without her, and felt her own spark of rage fill her system and warm her as if it were a seething flame.

It sounded absurd, but Kagome could rightfully say that her lips curled over her teeth as she bared them in anger. She was enraged at the _idea_ of anyone laying a _finger_ on Rin.

"It was in the past," Sesshomaru wrote off without an ounce of feeling, his own anger cooling down to a light simmer. It seemed that the hundreds of years that had passed had made Sesshomaru numb to the pain of Rin's unfortunate death. Kagome walked back into their bed as she wound her arm around Sesshomaru's chest, knowing full well that he needed the support even if his uptight self didn't want to admit it.

"But it makes sense now," she murmured while resting her head on his shoulder, "why you got angry with Kohaku the other day. Did you not know that it was him delivering papers every morning?"

"I only knew that he was a brother to my secretary. I never physically saw him. I also hadn't made the connection that all of the souls from the past could be clustered so close together in the present," he answered with a slight clench of his jaw.

"What happened to the past Kohaku?" Kagome asked, though wondered if Sesshomaru had killed him, already sensing from her flashbacks that the past Sesshomaru seemed more than capable of such an act.

"No," he replied, "but I _did_ consider it,"

"What stopped you?" Kagome asked curiously.

"You," he answered stoically.

"What did I do?" Kagome asked with a surprised blink.

"You made it known to me that Kohaku was merely a pawn in Naraku's plan, and killing him would simply be doing what Naraku wanted me to do," Sesshomaru answered, "and, like an idiot, you jumped in the way of my Bakusaiga to force me to listen to you,"

"Well you _obviously_ wouldn't have listened to me if I didn't!" Kagome replied hotly before her expression softened with a light sigh and a smile, "I don't know where _that_ came from. I don't remember jumping to save Kohaku, or much of _what_ happened in the past,"

Kagome was starting to put the pieces of her past together, but it still was very vague, and she knew she was still missing some vital information. Wouldn't she have remembered flinging herself in front of Sesshomaru's deadly blade to save a man who killed the girl that Kagome lovingly viewed as being blood related to? And why would she have done it? Sesshomaru said it was to prevent him from playing into Naraku's hands; but Kagome was sure that if she were given the same option now she wouldn't have lifted a finger to save Kohaku's life, controlled by Naraku or not.

"You will remember soon enough," Sesshomaru replied. Kagome stared at him for a moment, wondering what their past life was like. From the little that Kagome had seen already, she couldn't imagine herself falling for the past Sesshomaru given his cold and rather isolated personality. The only feelings she remembered her past self having were grief and hatred. The first for her lost lover Inuyasha, and the latter for her unwanted keeper, Sesshomaru.

She felt pity for a split second as well when she imagined a lifeless Rin on that marble table. Pity that one of the only people who deserved to live was taken from this world far too soon. Kagome realized after a moment that the image hadn't seemed foreign to her. Granted it had surprised her when Sesshomaru had first showed it to her, but again the image did not seem completely new.

_Which means that I must've seen Rin like that in my past life,_ Kagome though solemnly, unsure if she even wanted to relive that memory from her past. Kagome grimaced slightly at the dark thought of walking in on that sight, and snuggled in closer to Sesshomaru. Her raven hair spread out across her pillow, with a few strands resting on Sesshomaru's pale chest. He did not respond to her thoughts or her movements, and Kagome wondered for a moment if he had fallen asleep.

Unable to control herself, Kagome trailed one lone finger along Sesshomaru's jawline, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against her chilled one. Their connection was still just as strong as before for Kagome could sense how her touch felt to Sesshomaru, as well as how pleasant it was to her. The dual pleasure sent a wave of comfort through Kagome, and it still baffled her that she could feel such a powerful sensation from a mere touch.

Again Sesshomaru did not respond to her touch or her thoughts, and Kagome let out a defeated sigh before shutting her own eyes. She had a big day tomorrow, and knew that she'd most likely have to visit Inutashio again to get some more answers.

(Divider)

Alright, sorry I kind of ended at a weird spot, but I've been reading and rereading this chapter for months, and I hope I didn't leave too many mistakes in there. If anything doesn't seem to make sense or this chapter seemed a little disjointed please let me know.

Until next time everyone! Happy Holidays!


	27. Apartment blues

_Woo! Well this is a quick update for me :) _

_Review Corner_

_Crystal jade2: Yup, pretty exciting right? :) thanks for the review!_

_Minako-Akemi: haha I'm sorry about the super long wait, I was just having writer's block issues and I kind of lost the storyline of this story for a while, but it's back and stronger than ever! Thanks for the review!_

_Angel61991: Thanks so much for your review! And I love Shippo so much too! He'll definitely show up more now that Kagome knows who he is. _

(Divider)

Rin sat in her living room reading over textbooks like they were her favorite fairytale picture books. Her cinnamon eyes were narrowed in concentration as she soaked in the information like a sponge. Education had always fascinated her, and she had always dreamed of going to school when she had been homeless.

Whenever she'd see kids walking to school every morning, she'd trail behind to watch them. She hadn't followed any group of children in particular, just whatever group happened to pass her alley that day. She'd sneak behind trash cans and tall adults to keep herself hidden from the other kids.

She'd seen a lot of them bully other children for being too smart or weird. She also knew that she'd definitely fall under the "weird" category. A homeless girl following them to school everyday just to see them spill into their classrooms like a school of guppies _was_ weird. But she couldn't help her curiosity.

School was like the place that only the rich and intelligent could go to, and she had been neither of those things. Even when her family was alive, her parents had stressed that she'd be home schooled because going to school was too expensive. Her siblings weren't all that supportive of her either. She remembered her brothers calling her "dull" and "slow" when she had trouble learning words as a baby. Those stark remarks had made going to school seem that much more impossible to Rin.

Now she had a chance to prove that she could do it. She had a chance to tell the world that she was intelligent and, now with Sesshomaru in her life, rich. No longer was she the homeless girl who wore shirts far too big for her tiny body. No longer was she the one scavenging for food like a stray animal.

She was Rin Tashio and she'd be a success one day, she just knew it.

"Hey Rin," Kagome greeted while slouching in the nearby arm chair. Rin cast a glance in her direction to see the raven haired woman resting against the couch like she hadn't slept in days. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin looked paler than usual.

"Kagome, you should go to bed," Rin recommended when she saw Kagome's head lazily fall back on the couch cushion.

"What? Oh no, I have to go to Sango's flower shop in a few minutes," she murmured while rubbing the side of her face with her left hand, "I just had a long night, and I got up early this morning to visit Inutashio,"

"What did Grandpa Inutashio say?" Rin asked, her spirits perking up at the sound of her grandfather's name, "did he take you out into his garden? He's got the best flowers in the world growing there!" she squealed in delight.

Kagome gave her a soft smile in response before shaking her head, "No. I was there on...a mission from the past," she replied as Rin cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"What kind of mission?" Rin asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I just have to find out what happened to my...friend a long time ago,"

"How long ago? I'm reading an American history book about the Civil War. Is it around that time?" Rin asked as Kagome shook her head lightly again.

"No, and it was before you were born," Kagome replied, but Rin didn't miss the slight clench of her jaw, as if she were holding something in that she didn't want Rin to hear. Rin didn't press, just shrugged her shoulders and began reading once again. She had learned to read signals like that from watching Sesshomaru's expressions for a couple of months.

After she read another page of oddly named captains fighting to ab-ol-ish...end slavery, Rin felt her mind begin to wander. If her Captain Li Shang was there fighting the war in America, Rin knew he'd win. He'd be the best warrior on the battlefield.

"Thinking about Captain Shang again?" Sesshomaru asked with a faint smirk as he entered the room, and gave her daydreaming face a quick glance. Rin shook her head to empty her thoughts before giving her adoptive father a big grin.

"Yup. I thought that if he fought the war in America, he'd beat the Con-fed-er-ates, and end slavery," Rin told him proudly. Had she been standing, she would've puffed out her chest in pride for her warrior. Sesshomaru only gave her a slightly larger smirk before she saw him share a glance with Kagome. They didn't say anything, but Rin could tell by their facial expressions that they were somehow communicating. Another second went by before Sesshomaru walked back towards the closet, grabbing for her pink hat atop his black one and walking back to casually drop it on her head.

"I think I saw the Captain this morning, but I told him that he couldn't have you," Sesshomaru stated idly as he pulled Rin's pink coat off the coat rack next to him.

"Oh, you didn't Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out in disbelief as she pulled her hat off to stare at Sesshomaru in shock. It was only when his smirk got a little bit bigger that she realized he was teasing her. She gave him a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest in mock anger.

"You're always teasing me!" she huffed as she turned away from him, embarrassed that she had fallen for his tricks, again.

"I'm sure your Captain will make another appearance. Now put your coat on, we have to go," he urged as he helped her put on her jacket. Rin tugged the rest of the jacket out of his grip when she felt he was being overbearing.

"I can do it myself!" she stated as she proceeded to tug her jacket on herself, and put on her matching gloves, "I gotta be more independent if I'm going to be going to school all by myself," she pointed out as she pulled her hat over her head to cover her ears.

"If you insist," was all Sesshomaru said as he walked a head of her. She grabbed for her history textbook and went to hurry after him, only to be pushed aside by Jaken.

"Jaken! I was going through first!" she pouted when the little man hurried out the door after Sesshomaru. She let out an angered breath when he didn't answer her before pushing the door open to follow after the two men. She'd get Jaken back later.

(Divider)

Kagome sat in Sango's empty flower shop alone with her thoughts. She had gone to see Inutashio earlier that day, and he hadn't helped her endeavors all that much.

"_I don't know too much about your specific past, Kagome. I'm sorry. The only person who could really help you would be Sesshomaru. I'm sure the memories from the past will return to you soon,"_ Inutashio had explained with a slightly guilty look.

"That's what Sesshomaru said," Kagome murmured under her breath, reciting what she had told Inutashio. Izayoi had proved to be more useful that morning; her own hunch on the likelihood that her relationship was like the one in folklore was Kagome's only lead at the moment.

"_A long time ago a demon was bestowed with a human woman after her love had perished in battle," Izayoi had began while grabbing an old text from the thousands in their grand library, "the demon was displeased with this arrangement because he hated humans. But they strove to make things work in his large castle because his pride wouldn't allow him to cast the woman out. As days soon turned into months, and months turned into years, the demon's heart began to beat for the human woman that he had so despised. Against all the advise he had received from other demons, he took the human woman as his wife,"_

"_This behavior was rare among demons due to the fact that many only took humans as lovers. This demon hadn't even kissed the human woman, and yet he knew he was in love with her. The human woman had also fallen for the dark demon, pushing aside her mournful thoughts of her previous lover. But soon, a dark shadow cast over the two in the shape of a large spider. It surrounded them, engulfed them in it's evil plans. The spider was crafty you see, and knew just what strings to pull to keep the two under its control. It was an envious demon who did not understand love, and despised the thought of a human and a demon ever being together. It then cast a spell on the two, a spell that would turn all their love into hate. Never again would the two see past the spider's spell, and they would go on hating each other for eternity," _

"_Soon the two could not stand one another, the love that once brought them together tore them apart. It was only when, at the brink of her death, that the human woman confessed her true feelings to the demon. The spider was so taken aback to the fact that her love could break through his spell that he killed her out of spite. The demon mourned his lost love, and buried her remains in a cemetery only reserved for the most beautiful. It was then that the demon left his love's grave and walked the Earth alone. The folklore states that the human woman promised that their love would reunite them, and her soul would be born into another human woman. The demon promised to wait for her, and it is said that he continues to walk the world in solitude, awaiting the sound of his love's voice to melt his heart once more," Izayoi finished before handing Kagome the book, "take it, maybe it'll be useful," she urged with a soft smile. _

_Kagome blinked out of her train of thought as she grabbed for the text Izayoi handed her. She stuffed it in her bag, instructed not to allow Inutashio to see her leave with it. Izayoi stressed that he'd most likely not let her walk out of the house, since he cherished his massive book collection like a parent would treasure their child. _

Looking down at it, Kagome noted that it was only an old worn out book with a broken bind and pages that felt like sandpaper. Izayoi had said that it was one of Inutashio's rarer texts from the Feudal Era. Kagome slowly traced the book's cover with her finger as she wondered how many folklores and stories could be in this one book. How many stories of love and loss filled the yellowing pages?

She was jolted out of her wondering thoughts at the sound of a familiar greeting.

"Hello beautiful!" Koga's confident voice rang into the small shop before his nose gave an involuntary twitch. Kagome could only assume that all the different smells from the flowers were a hard thing for a demon to take in all at once.

"Hello Koga," Kagome greeted with a smile, "how did you find me?"

"The only person who wouldn't know where to find you would be someone who lives under a rock without television," he informed her as he approached the counter, "I've missed you," he told her with a wolfish grin once he closed the distance between them. Kagome could only answer with an awkward laugh.

"I'm Sesshomaru's now, remember Koga?" Kagome asked with another awkward giggle, "I thought we went over this," she added.

"Oh, Kagome. So naive," he told her with a flick of his hand, "just because you're a demon's mate doesn't mean that your tied to him forever. If I should challenge Sesshomaru, and win, then you'd become my mate," he added with a wink.

"Wait a minute, so I'd just be transferred over like a consolation prize? I get no say in who's mate I want to be?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"If you did not want to be with me, than I suppose that'd be true. But who wouldn't want to be with me? I'm much more of a man than that pretty boy could ever be," Koga scoffed. Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the arrogant wolf.

"What do you really want, Koga? If it's only to flirt with me, than you've come all this way for nothing," Kagome replied with a wry grin, "I'm very...busy at the moment," she added.

Koga did a quick scope of the empty flower shop before returning his blue gaze to her dark brown one, "Clearly," he replied with a crocked smile.

"Hey Kagome! I'm back!" Shippo called into the shop suddenly as he walked in through the back door, but froze at the sight of Koga.

"Hm, another demon," Koga observed as he faintly sniffed the air, "a fox demon as well. I haven't seen many of you guys around lately. Thought they all died off,"

Shippo emitted a low growl at that, and Kagome quickly moved in between the two males, feeling her aura surround Shippo to calm him down.

"Alright, there's no need for a fight," Kagome stated as she glanced back and forth between both men, "Koga, that was uncalled for. That's not something you say to someone," she pointed out as the wolf demon crossed his arms over his chest in agitation at being talked to like a child.

Kagome didn't miss the faces that Shippo was making at Koga either, and sent him a warning glare. The fox demon immediately turned serious as he glanced at the floor with a faint blush at being caught misbehaving.

"Kagome," Koga stated them, his voice coming off far more seriously than Kagome had ever heard the wolf speak, "you were right earlier, I didn't just come to flirt with you. I came to talk to you about your apartment," he added as Kagome's eyes widened. She hadn't been back there in a matter of weeks. In all honesty, she had forgotten about her little lone apartment while she had been staying at Sesshomaru's place.

"What happened to it?" she asked as Koga turned to stare at her head on.

"Someone broke into it," he stated, "it's been circulating around the news this morning that someone's out to get you. A lot of the fingers have been pointing at Kagura, since she's got reason to ruin your life, but nothing has been proven yet," Koga explained as Kagome's eyes widened.

"Was anything stolen?"

"No one knows," he replied, "you'd be the only one who would know, and the press has gotten suspicious. They realize that you haven't been staying in your apartment during the entire time you've made front page news. No one ever knew where you lived until your landlord came out with the breaking and entering report last night," Koga replied.

"What do I do? I can't leave the shop," Kagome said before Shippo suddenly jumped in.

"I'll watch it," he offered with a grin, "I'm done delivering for the day, and as long as you promise me dinner I'll watch the shop for you," he added as Kagome gave him a thankful smile.

"Of course Shippo," she answered, "thanks," she added on the way out with Koga in tow.

(Divider)

"So, the fox gets a date at the drop of a hat, huh?" Koga asked after they had been driving in his convertible for a while. Kagome let out a light laugh before she rolled her eyes.

"It isn't a date, it's a friend taking another friend out for dinner," she answered, "besides, it's more of a gratitude outing than a date," she added to appease Koga, but he didn't look pleased at all.

"With all that's going on, I'm surprised you can be as happy as you are," Koga stated grimly while turning the steering wheel to make a smooth left down the street. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed at that, and she gave Koga a questioning look.

"I thought you were the one making the joke," she replied with a slight cock of her head. He let out a humorless laugh before he cast her a quick blue eyed glance.

"I wanted to break the silence. That doesn't mean that the situation is any less dangerous," he replied, "someone's out to get you, Kagome,"

"Out to get me?" Kagome asked with a slightly nervous laugh, "Who? Why?"

"I don't know. No one knows. I wasn't able to pick up a scent either," Koga replied, "there was a mixture of scents that I didn't recognize covering up the real one," he added as they turned into the driveway of her apartment complex.

A mixture of fear and dread filled Kagome's mind as Koga turned off the ignition and quickly got out of his car. She desperately wanted to remain in the car, and wanted the whole thing to be an outlandish dream. She'd surely wake up in a minute or two, and find that she was sleeping next to Sesshomaru, worrying over nothing. But she didn't wake up, and she wasn't dreaming. Instead she was still sitting in Koga's car, amidst a very impatient wolf who looked ready to drag her out of the vehicle himself.

Kagome shrugged off the fear that welled in her heart and pushed open the car door before stepping out. Once her heels hit the pavement Koga didn't waste any time waiting for her. By the time she reached the front door, Koga was already out of sight. Presumably in front of her apartment if she guessed right.

After she ascended the stairs herself Kagome was proven right. Koga impatiently stood before her apartment with his palm already wrapped around the doorknob. Kagome's throat tightened as she played out all the worse scenarios in her mind to prepare herself. She didn't dare ask Koga if he tried to fix up the place, or left it the way it was. The only thing she did do was nod in his direction when he inclined his head towards her door.

"Prepare yourself," he stated gruffly while swinging the door open. All the preparation Kagome had done was no where near enough when she laid eyes on her apartment – or what was left of it.

It looked like someone had throughly ransacked the place. Her couch and long chairs were shredded and tossed aside; the arm rests the only remnants left of her favorite furniture pieces. Her kitchen table that was situated near her glass window looked as if someone had snapped it in half over their knee, and wood chunks were scattered about the room. All her lamps and pictures were either smashed or missing, and whoever had done it had even ripped up her carpet.

"No one knows who did it yet," Koga stated with a grimace, "I wanted you to be the one to see it, in case you knew who could have done it and wanted my help. Not that you really need it, now that you got that damn dog at your disposal,"

"He isn't a "damn dog at my disposal,"" Kagome ground out before her expression softened and she adverted her eyes, "but I am grateful that you wanted to help. I don't know who would be after me, or if they're looking for something from me,"

"Whoever they are, I have a feeling they wanted to narrow down your possible locations, and send you a message," Koga replied as he turned to look towards her bedroom, "their scent was masked away by perfumes, and their fingerprints are nowhere to be found," he added.

A sudden thought hit Kagome, "Do you recognize the perfume?" she asked. Her mind had immediately gone to Kagura as the potential vandal. She hadn't known the woman for long, but she seemed the type of woman to hold a grudge. Especially because Kagome had prevented her from getting to Sesshomaru.

"No, and it doesn't smell like any commercial perfume either," Koga replied and gave her a look that convinced her that he had thought about that too, "You better stay with your pack from now on Kagome. The worst thing that you could do after an attack like this would be to be alone," he advised as Kagome nodded her head solemnly.

Another thought entered her mind then, and Kagome contemplated it for a while.

"What are you thinking?" Koga asked after a pause.

"Naraku," Kagome answered as Koga gave her a questioning look.

"The half-breed from the Feudal era?" he asked in surprise and Kagome gave him a nod in response.

"If he is still the same Naraku we fought in the past, then he must remember who we all are," Kagome stated.

"And he wants to finish the job, get rid of all of us so we won't be a problem for him in the present," Koga finished for her.

"But if he knew who we all were, why didn't he just kill us before we all met up?" Koga asked, and Kagome shook her head. Weird things hadn't started happening in her life until she got close to Sesshomaru. Before she learned about her past life and the secret life of the demons that lived right under the noses of the human population.

"Do you think he didn't expect that we'd all meet up and remember our past?" Kagome asked as they continued to brainstorm in her apartment.

"Possibly, but that means that he has to have someone on the inside," Koga replied, "Someone who knows what's going on between all of us, and who's been informed that you've remembered your past life,"

"Who?" Kagome asked, not knowing anyone who'd side with the enemy among her friends. Unless one of them _didn't_ remember their past life...

Kagura was still on Kagome's top list of suspects though. She knew that Kagome and Sesshomaru were mates after she nearly lost it on her in the other world. She could have easily ran back to Naraku and told him that little vital piece of information. That alone could have caused Naraku to become uneasy, given that he'd have two powerful enemies teaming up against him. Was having them all together something Naraku didn't want? Did they stand a chance against him if they all worked together?

"Who knows, but you better be on your guard when you're around anybody," Koga replied, "and that includes me; and I'd understand if the dog demands that I not see you anymore,"

"But Koga – "

"It's fine. I'd do the same if you were my mate," he replied with a cocky grin, the first glimpse of his old self that Kagome had seen all day. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

(Divider)

Sango sat idly typing on her keyboard when she spotted Sesshomaru walk in with Jaken and little Rin in tow. He didn't spare her a glance as he walked by, but picked up the list of messages she left on the corner of her desk for him. Rin gave her an enthusiastic wave as she passed; the only one of the trio that actually acknowledged her.

Sango gave her a soft smile in return before returning her gaze to her computer screen. Again she had nothing to do for the day. She began wondering if she could play hooky from work when she heard the faint beep come from the elevator a mere few feet away from her desk.

She glanced over just in time to see Inuyasha hastily make his way over to her. Her eyes widened slightly at his appearance, for she hadn't seen him in months and he looked like hell. His thick silvery hair was disheveled and there were dark rings under his amber eyes, so similar and yet so different from his brother's cold gaze. His complexion also looked paler than usual, and if he wasn't moving towards her Sango would've pegged him as one of the dead.

"Hey Inuyasha," Sango greeted warmly, hiding her worry under her smile as the man glanced around the hallway before resting his eyes on her.

"Hey, Sango. Have you seen Kagome? I have to talk to her," he said as Sango shook her head.

"She doesn't work here anymore, and she's temporarily subbing for Kohaku now that he's back in school," Sango explained as she saw Inuyasha's face fall. His expression so much resembled a lost little puppy's that Sango felt her heart flutter slightly at the odd observation.

"What's wrong?" she couldn't help but ask, her heart going out to the man. She had only known Inuyasha as a strong-willed and independent individual, and had never seen him look so vulnerable before.

"I've begun to have these...vision that I can't explain," he answered, and by his worried expression Sango could tell that whatever the visions were, they weren't good. She could also tell by his vague answer that he didn't want to tell her about them either.

"You can find her at my flower shop," Sango stated, "and Inuyasha...take care of yourself. Whatever these visions are, you can get through them," she added, and faintly blushed when he sent her a thankful smile.

"Thanks Sango," he nodded as he made his way back to the elevator and quickly disappeared behind the golden double doors. Sango hadn't even had enough time to tell him goodbye.

(Divider)

Rin sat in Sesshomaru's office with her nose buried in a math textbook, her eyes scanning over the pages like she had read through textbooks all of her young life. Sesshomaru's expression did not waiver as he watched her study, still amused at the idea of Rin going to school. Mere months ago she had been perfectly content with trailing behind him and doing whatever it was that he was doing.

He assumed that such a lifestyle could get lonely for the girl though, and didn't blame her for wanting to be among her peers. He knew that he'd miss her company, and wondered if he had grown more dependent on her than she had to him. Granted he gave her a roof over her head and the clothes on her back (among other various material things that she desired) but she while she may be financially dependent on him, she did not seem emotionally dependent.

She made friends with others as easily as she breathed, and found their company both exciting and comforting. A sharp contrast to his way of life, and in a way he supposed that contributed to his lack of enthusiasm for letting her attend school.

As solitary as he was, he always found it strange when he'd miss Rin's presence, and wondered if all parents went through the same discomfort when their children were not with them. Was he doubting her intelligence and skills due to the fact that she hadn't been going to school as long as her peers would have? Did he worry that she'd be unsafe there? That she'd get bullied by other children? That she'd fall in love and get hurt by an unworthy boy?

"Sesshomaru?" Rin called out to him then, her airy voice filling the room with such warmth that he felt his heart clench when he recognized the sound. Her voice was maturing, and she was turning into the Rin he had met back in the Feudal Era. The same girl that had shared the little amount of food she had with him so that she could save him the only way her young mind knew how.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice giving nothing away to her. She was lying on her stomach on the rugged floor; idly kicking her legs back and forth in the air.

"This math textbook is really easy," she told him, "do you think I'm reading the problems wrong?" she asked, a quizzical expression on her face.

"No," he replied levelly, "you just grasp the logic of the problems easily," he added when she cocked her head to the side.

"Oh," she replied before giving him an excited smile, "I hope the placement exam is this easy, than I'll get into Kohaku's class for sure!" she added with a little giggle.

(Divider)

_Ok everyone, I know that this chapter has kind of jumped around a lot, but I'm hoping to set the stage for Naraku's second appearance. I'm trying really hard to keep to the plot of my story and stop writing filler chapters so there can be an ending in sight. _

_I hope you all liked this chapter!_


	28. A young boy decides to meddle

_Hopefully the update was quick enough for everyone! _

_Review Corner_

_Dark Ravie: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoy my chapter :) _

_bluerosepunk: haha I'm glad you like where my story is heading :D Thanks for the review!_

_Crytal Jade2: It could be Inuyasha...but I won't say! Thanks for the review! _

(Divider)

"Rin? What are you doing here?" Kohaku asked with a blink of surprise as he stared down at the girl standing before him with a big grin on her face.

"I'm here for the placement exams!" Rin informed him, pumping her left hand into the air to signify her excitement, "I want to get into the sixth grade with you, Kohaku!" she added with a perky giggle.

"So, you're really going through with it then?" Kohaku asked, trying to hide his skepticism before he gave her a confident smile, "then you better do your very best!" he added.

"Mmhmm! Will you walk with me, Kohaku?" Rin asked sweetly as Kohaku's eyebrows furrowed forward.

"Huh? Why?" he asked.

"Because I've never been inside Shikon Elementary School before, and I might get lost," she answered, still managing to keep her smile in place. Kohaku nearly toppled over at that before he collected his wits and gave her a nod.

"Of course, Rin. Follow me!" he added as he led the girl towards the main office on the third floor. Rin let out an excited sound as she fell in step beside him, the determination in her eyes making Kohaku smile. She really did want to get into his class. The thought brought a faint blush to Kohaku's cheeks. No one had ever taking such a liking to him outside of his family.

The farther they walked through the building, the more Kohaku realized that his school did seem a _tad_ bit larger than he had remembered it being.

(Divider)

"Kikyo, how nice of you to visit us so soon," Inutashio smiled down at the raven haired priestess as the quiet woman gave him a quick nod in greeting. _Sometimes I wonder why Sesshomaru and Kikyo didn't become mates, they'd have a perfect personality match,_ Inutashio thought as he kept his forced grin in place at her cold greeting. The priestess always had a way of making him nervous. Whether it was from the pure aura radiating off her like she was another sun or her icy personality, he wasn't completely sure which sent his demonic senses into a frenzy.

She broke eye contact with him then as she started down the hallway. Inutashio stood at the doorway, deep in his own thoughts. So deep that he only was half aware that Kikyo had entered his home. Had she posed a threat, he would've paid her more attention to her.

Recently, Inutashio had been baffled by Kikyo's likeness to Kagome, to the point that even their scents practically matched each others'. The only clue Inutashio had between the two was the way that Kikyo wore her hair. She always had her straight hair in a loose ponytail, so it rested against her back. Her eyes also tended to be harder than Kagome's friendlier gaze. He had even regrettably addressed Kikyo as Kagome, an action that the cold priestess hadn't been too fond of.

His expression instantly changed when he noticed the bow hooked over Kikyo's right shoulder. She paused midway down the hallway as well, as if able to sense the sudden change in his demeanor.

"Training again? You're turning into Kagome," he teased with a humorless smile, the light in his eyes remaining entirely serious.

"So, she's been here as well?" Kikyo asked in return, though she sounded more curious than bothered by the news. He turned sideways to glance back at her, and she took a moment before she returned it with her own dark chocolate gaze.

"Is something interesting developing out there in the real world?" Inutashio asked as his eyes softened slightly. He didn't want to scare the priestess away, for, unlike Kagome, Kikyo was a closed book. He hadn't heard her utter more than a couple of sentences in his presence upon meeting her. He had first pegged her as the timid type, given that Inuyasha spoke of nothing but praise for her. He had even thought that perhaps she was shy, and possible uncomfortable around her "boyfriend's" parents.

But, he had watched her practice when she'd occasionally come to train and keep her power readily at her disposal. Her battle style spoke volumes of her personality, and she wasn't timid by any standards. When she'd shoot for a target her aim was perfect and her power fierce. Her concentration was spot on as well, and no matter how many distractions presented themselves to her, she never wavered or spooked easily.

_So,why aren't __**they**__ mates instead?_ Inutashio thought with a slight sigh. Sesshomaru and Kikyo would be an efficient team, formidable against any foe. A trait he had assumed Sesshomaru would have looked for in a mate. He supposed he'd miss his first born though, since he'd probably end up taking over the world with such a powerful partner at his side. Kagome seemed far more human than Kikyo, and that brightened the dog demon's hope of a family for his son, rather than world domination.

In fact, now that he thought about it, he did see the benefit of having such a calm partner for his younger son. Inuyasha tended to be hot headed and rather reckless, and with Kikyo at his side she could keep him in check. The thought made Inutashio inwardly smile. He supposed opposites could attract.

"Nothing too interesting," Kikyo replied, snapping the demon out of his thoughts, "it's merely a suspicion I have," she added in a whisper, more to herself than to him. Again he tried hard not to show the nervous grin that was pushing at the edges of his mouth.

She left him at that, continuing to walk on her own towards the training ground. She had come enough times to know where it was, and he knew from all those times that any offers of hospitality would be politely declined. He knew it so well that he didn't bother offering her anything anymore. Even Izayoi knew not to smother the girl too much when she came to visit.

(Divider)

"Kagome! Kagome! I got my test scores back!" Rin cried out excitedly, nearly breaking down the flower shop door on her way in. Sango and Kagome paused in their conversation to give the little girl a smile as she ran to their side.

"Did you get into Kohaku's class?" Sango asked and Rin gave her an happy smile before nodding her head.

"I told him I could, and he didn't believe me!"

"Well, you sure showed him," Kagome smiled, an action Rin returned wholeheartedly.

"Is Sesshomaru with you?" Sango asked as she glanced out the window overlooking the street.

"No," the other two answered, and Sango gave Kagome a surprised look before Kagome let out a nervous laugh.

"I mean, he's probably not here because he's at work," Kagome quickly added, and Sango gave her a nod in response before looking back at Rin.

"So, when do you start your classes?" she asked, and Rin gave her a shrug.

"The principle said I could start whenever I wanted," she replied.

"Didn't you want to start as soon as possible?" Kagome asked curiously, and Rin nodded earnestly.

"Yeah, but I'll miss going to work with Sesshomaru," she added while glancing at the ground.

"You'll still see him when you get home from school," Sango replied and Rin nodded again, not raising her eyes from the floor.

"But it won't be the same," she murmured after a pause, seeming to think it over herself. The sound of chime bells brought the three girls' eyes to the door as Shippo walked in, his new delivery uniform blending in with the greenery around him. His orange/red hair stood up in random sections while others laid flatly on his head. Kagome gave him a smile, finding it funny how such an odd hairstyle could look presentable on Shippo. Had it been on anyone else, Kagome was sure it would have looked ridiculous.

"Hey everyone," Shippo greeted. The two women gave him nods while Rin remained motionless with eyes the size of saucers. Kagome would have thought Rin's look was one of awe, but that was before she saw the embarrassed tears that formed in them. She quickly covered her face with her hands, hoping they'd make her invisible. Rin didn't want Shippo to see her upset. In fact, Kagome thought she looked like she feared it.

In the next moment, Rin's fears were realized, and his eyes fell to her. He merely cocked his head to the side and gave her a confused look before speaking, "What's wrong, Rin? You look sad," he observed as Rin uncovered her eyes, opened her mouth, paused, and shut it with a faint blush. Shippo glanced at her for a moment longer before he walked to her side and bent down next to her. Kagome felt a smile find its way to her lips as she watched Rin's eyes widen in wonder at the form that towered over her.

"No little girl should look so sad," Shippo told her gently before slowly bringing a clenched hand towards her face. She glanced at it as he opened his palm for her. A cherry blossom stem appeared in the crease of his hand between his middle and forefinger as the petals opened beautifully before her eyes. A large smile brightened the girl's features as Shippo handed her the bloomed flower. They shared a smile before Rin whispered a shy thank you, a faint blush still coating her cheeks. His smile widened to a grin before he gave her a nod. Then he stood, and he glanced over at Sango.

"I finished the deliveries for the morning, and I was going to go get some lunch before the afternoon rush starts," he told her as Sango gave him permission with a smile and a nod.

"Wait, I still owe you a meal," Kagome called just as Shippo reached the door, and he mockingly shook his head at her.

"You owe me dinner, not lunch," he replied, "and I eat a lot, so be prepared to spend money," he added as he gave her a wide grin before giving Rin a friendly salute. She smiled up at him before fitting the stem of the cherry blossom into her thick hair.

"Looks good," he winked at her before he turned on his heel and disappeared out the door.

"That fox..." Kagome smirked as she glanced down Rin who stood hopefully staring at the doorway.

"Wait a minute, you weren't just checking out my delivery boy, were you?" Sango asked playfully, and Kagome took a moment before her words sunk in.

"No, that's not what I meant at all!" she replied hurriedly. She had forgotten that Sango didn't know about demons, and wouldn't know that Shippo was a fox demon. So, like any other human, she'd figure Kagome's comment was a dirty one. A blush coated her cheeks when she didn't see Sango's smug smirk leave her lips, and she frantically waved her hands back and forth.

"I don't like Shippo like that! He's like a son to me!" she shrieked as Sango let out a laugh.

"Don't worry about it," she replied, "besides, I hear younger men are _in_ this year," she added coyly before letting out another laugh at Kagome's beet red face. Kagome could already tell Sango wasn't going to let her live this incident down. The sound of chime bells broke the womens' focus then as they all glanced at the entrance. Rin looked the most hopeful of the three.

"Rin! What's taking you so long? Sesshomaru may need me at the office for something!" Jaken's voice squawked as he entered the little flower shop. Rin's face fell when she saw who it was, and crossed her arms over her chest in agitation.

"Daddy said that I could visit Mommy as long as I wanted," Rin answered before she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Mommy?" Sango repeated as she turned towards Kagome curiously. Kagome looked just as surprised as Sango did, and but her face positively glowed at the new title.

"Yeah, because Sesshomaru and Kagome are mates now," Rin answered Sango in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Mates? You mean they're married?" Sango asked as she glanced between Rin and Kagome, "did you get married without telling anyone?" she asked Kagome as her friend shook her head.

"No, we're not married," Kagome laughed.

"Then what does she mean by 'mates'?" Sango persisted.

"Well they're mates because Sesshomaru is a – " Rin began before Jaken quickly covered her mouth with one little hand. A little hand that Kagome suddenly noted was a human hand, and she realized then that Jaken _was_ human. Or, at least in human form. She had been so used to his green toad form that he looked a little bizarre as a human.

He had a few patches of black hair above his ears, a round face, and a tiny suit to match his tiny body. Kagome assumed that Jaken couldn't conjure up a taller human facade, and held in her need to grin like a fool at him.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," Jaken laughed as he pulled Rin against him, his hand still covering her mouth, "you know how kids are," he added with a loud, entirely forced laugh.

"Yes...I do," Sango replied rather suspiciously as she glanced between the two, "things _have_ been a little weird lately," she added as she turned towards Kagome.

"Did you read the article about yourself in this week's paper?" Sango asked, and Kagome shook her head with a slight frown, "it had a picture of you in front of my flower shop blowing up on the paparazzi. They wrote that your anger was strong enough to melt a tiny crater into the street. Supposedly the reporters fled for their lives. They aren't sure what caused it, and they brought up words like 'witch' and 'demon'. Is there some truth to those words? Is there something you're hiding from me?" Sango questioned as Kagome gave her an anxious look before glancing down at Jaken. He returned her feared glance with one of his own as Rin continued to struggle against the man's hold.

"I really think it's speculation," Kagome replied hastily with a wave of her hand, hoping that Sango would buy her quick lie. But when the woman's suspicious look didn't disappear from her face, Kagome's head dropped with a sigh.

"You can drop the cover, Kagome," Sango's voice clipped before her face softened and she gave her friend a smile, "I already know about Sesshomaru, and that you're a demon's mate. I was just hoping you'd tell me yourself,"

"You knew? For how long?" Kagome asked in complete surprise.

"A few days. Inuyasha told me about it when we had lunch together," Sango replied as Kagome's eyes widened.

"You went out to lunch with Inuyasha?" she parroted back as Sango nodded with a laugh.

"Yeah, he was feeling a bit down about his ex and said he needed someone to talk to. I figured since he's one of Miroku's best friend there wasn't any harm in trying to lift his spirits," Sango answered with a slight shrug. Though Kagome was shocked that Inuyasha would reach out to Sango before her, she dwelt more on the fact that he had told a human outside of their odd "pack" about demons' existence.

"If you're wondering why he talked to me, he said that Kikyo had always been a touchy subject with you," Sango added when she noted the far away look in her friend's eyes.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed softly, though wasn't really in the room with Sango anymore. Her mind was a hundred miles away as it was hit with a mixture of images that suddenly captured the majority of her attention.

She saw her apartment situated as it always had been before, and in a flight of quick motions, it was turned into a disaster. She watched as her couch was ripped to shreds and her bed cut and torn, scattered feathers and finger-line tears the only things left on the bed after the culprit was finished with it. Her windows were smashed by a strong force and for a moment her "vision" zeroed in on a shard of glass still on the windowsill that kept a piece of the culprit with it. A small piece of purple cloth hung from the glass piece as Kagome's eyes turned towards her kitchen just in time to see her table break in two.

She stared at the table in horror and her eyes watered as paintings and wall pieces fell from her walls and crashed to the ground one after another in a horrible rhythm.

_Crash!...thump...thump...crash!...thump...thump...crash!...thump...thump...crash!_ The last thing to go was her televison, which was smashed with a single blow.

_What is this? _Kagome thought in horror. Why was she seeing her apartment's destruction, and who was responsible? And then _he_ came into her line of vision. A boy with violet hair suddenly stood in the center of her apartment, a feather from her pillow resting atop his young head. He had been moving so quickly that Kagome hadn't been able to focus her eyes on him until he stood perfectly still. She saw his dark purple eyes scan the room as a small smirk formed across his thin lips.

"This'll teach her," he murmured in a surprisingly silky voice. Kagome's eyes narrowed on him as she tried to pick up an energy source. When she couldn't read anything from him she watched in dismay as he kicked one of her paintings with his foot. Though he looked like he'd only be eight or nine years old, his voice held a demonic quality that made her skin crawl. Kagome watched the young boy in fearful awe when she thought about what would have happened if she had been home when he had been there.

Then the boy suddenly tensed before his head slowly turned in her direction. Kagome's heart beat raced in her chest as his violet eyes locked with her own. Though she knew it had to be a dream or vision of the past, Kagome couldn't stop the chill that went up her spine when the boy didn't alter his gaze.

"How are you...?" he murmured in fascination before his eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her, "of course, you aren't completely human anymore. I almost forgot," he added as he began walking towards her.

_But he's already trashed my apartment!_ Kagome thought fearfully as she glanced left and right, unsure of what to do. And the boy kept getting closer. Kagome sucked in her breath before she quickly shut her eyes and willed herself to return to Sango's flower shop. She willed it again and again until she felt a hand on her arm, and let out a scream, thinking the worst had happened.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Sango cried out as she grabbed Kagome's arms, "you weren't responding to my voice for a good five minutes! I was about to call the hospital!" she added exasperatedly before she let out a shaky breath.

"I – I don't know what happened, but I saw who trashed my apartment," Kagome told her in a faint whisper as she tried to collect her wits.

"You mean with the telekinesis thing you have with Sesshomaru?" Sango asked, and Kagome gave her a surprised look.

"How do you know about that?"

"Inuyasha told me,"

"How did _he_ know about that?" Kagome asked back. She knew full well that Sesshomaru wouldn't have spent any "quality time" with his half brother to fill him in on what life was like being mated to her.

"He said his mother and father filled him in on what was going on with you two," Sango replied and Kagome gave her a nod before she patted Sango's arms softly.

"I'm fine now, you don't have to hold onto to me like I'm going to float away," she stated as Sango cautiously released her hold. Though Kagome was worried about Sango knowing so much about demons, she was glad that Sango was taking everything so well. She wasn't hammering her with questions or denying their existence. _Though, she could have acted either way when Inuyasha told her,_ Kagome thought. It was also nice to have the responsibility of keeping demons a secret lifted off of her shoulders.

"Kagome? Did you have a bad dream?" Rin asked, standing a few feet away from Jaken who was holding his swollen head and whimpering in a corner.

"Kind of," Kagome replied honestly before she felt the brush of Sesshomaru's presence against the edge of her thoughts. She opened her mind to him, and felt his thoughts enter and become her own.

_Did you recognize the boy?_ He asked her and Kagome shook her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

_No,_ she thought back to him just as an image of the same boy in a pale purple kimono appeared in her mind. Her eyes widened when she recognized him.

"Hakudoshi," she whispered in surprise.

_He was an enemy that you faced in the past_, Sesshomaru answered, _apparently, Naraku plans on regenerating all of his past incarnations_.

_Do you want me to come back under your protection?_ Kagome thought back, and heard something close to a dark chuckle answer her.

_You are one who does not want nor need protection,_ was Sesshomaru's simple response before she felt him pull his thoughts back and break the connection. Something about his answer sounded familiar to her, and she wondered if he had told her that same thing in her past life. _I wonder if that means Sesshomaru can see more of my past self coming back,_ Kagome pondered, and felt a smile tug at her lips at the thought. It seemed strange how her past self seemed so alien to her, and how it could almost be a separate person.

Suddenly her melancholy thoughts were cut short when she remembered seeing that ripped piece of clothing on her window from Hakudoshi's kimono. If she could just get to it before Hakudoshi did, then she could ask Sesshomaru or Koga if they could follow the scent to his location. Maybe they'd even get lucky enough to find Naraku in the process.

"Kagome? Do you want to go home?" Sango asked, and Kagome turned towards her before giving her a guilty nod.

"I'm sorry Sango. I promise I'll make it up to you," she added, and Sango waved her off with a smile.

"Don't worry, Kagome. Besides, I have Shippo to handle the shop if business picks up," Sango replied.

"Kagome, can I come with you?" Rin asked and Kagome paused for a moment at her question. _If I take her with...what if Hakodoshi is at the apartment, waiting for me?_ She thought before worrying her lower lip.

"You can't go, Rin! Sesshomaru expects you back within the hour!" Jaken exclaimed before grabbing onto the little girl's arm, "now let's hurry up before Sesshomaru takes his anger out on _me_!" he added impatiently while dragging Rin out the door.

Though Jaken couldn't see her, Kagome sent him a thankful smile. When she heard the sound of the limo screeching down the street she walked outside the shop to spot it speeding down the intersection. She smiled at Jaken's desire to please Sesshomaru, and giggled at the thought of his "man crush" that Rin had spoken of months before. Months that seemed more like years, centuries even. Kagome shook herself out of her thoughts when she remembered that she needed to stay focused.

"I just hope I get there before Hakudoshi does," Kagome murmured as she glanced in the direction of her apartment building.

(Divider)

_Woo! Suspense! :D I hope everyone liked the chapter even though I know not a lot of action happened..._

_Until next time! _


	29. The love between a father and daughter

_Alright, so I know I said there wouldn't be anymore filler chapters, but this one was too cute to turn away. Kind of an inside look into Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship as adoptive father and daughter while trying to keep with the plot. _

_Review Corner_

_Crystal Jade 2: Not entirely. I'm trying to keep Kikyo as true to her character as she is in the manga and show. So she's kind of evil, but not entirely so. She still loves Inuyasha, and is relatively close to Kagome even if they have a strained relationship. She does come around though :)_

_Butterflykissehs: aw I'm so happy that this is one of your favorite stories! It always makes me smile when I read that in a review! :) _

_Trelweny Rosephoneixwolf: I'm so happy your reviewed! I hadn't gotten any reviews from you for the past couple of chapters so I was worried the story had taken a boring turn for you :( and yes that was a typo on the telekinesis line. Thanks for catching it! I'll go change it right away! Thanks for reviewing! Also, I wanted there to be a romance between Shippo and Rin, but I'm liking the idea of Shippo altering his past love for her into a brotherly like one since she is so much younger now. _

_Magpie09: I'm glad you love my story! I hope you keep reviewing and loving it! :D _

_Trangd19977:It's all cool :) I'm glad that my story kept you so interested! I hope you'll review more, and continue to like where it is heading! _

(Divider)

A young woman stood outside of Sesshomaru's room, watching him with soft cinnamon eyes as she rested her hand on the door frame. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back in soft waves that curled at the edges of her slim hips. Her lips were pulled back in a smile as she surveyed him. He didn't acknowledge her presence, but that was as it should be.

He sat on the bed with a journal in his hand, his golden eyes idly passing over the lines of text. To an observer he might have been reading it, but she knew better. He was just passing the time, waiting for something. She had watched him do such an act on multiple occasions, and knew him more than anyone. Well, now that Kagome was in the picture, that might no longer be true. But it didn't bother her in the least. Kagome was with him, as she should have been so many centuries before.

"You've come again," Sesshomaru noted, not taking his eyes away from the journal. Her smile widened prettily as she took a few sheepish steps into his bedroom. Another act that was normal and quite familiar to her.

"Yes," she answered softly as the wings on her back fluttered excitedly behind her. It had been close to two hundred years since she had seen him last, and her excitement brightened her features. She felt young again, the timid human girl at the demon lord's side once more. A feeling that she had nearly forgotten in her two hundred year absence.

"Have you come to watch over the girl again?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice level and uninterested. The woman bobbed her head before whispering a quick 'yes' when she noticed that he hadn't looked up.

"It's close to her ninth birthday," the young woman replied, "and the designated time of her death,"

"Do you still think that I'll abandon her?" he asked.

"No," she answered, "but I worry that this time it won't be a matter of you leaving her, but by a fact of circumstance,"

"I named her after you," Sesshomaru murmured suddenly and dragged his eyes from his book to gaze upon her. Her pearly white teeth shown behind her pink lips as she graced him with a grin. Her wings spread out and fluttered around her, easily giving away her happiness at finally having his attention.

"I know you did," she replied as her wings slowly drew in behind her, "she did not remember her name when you found her on the street, and yet you still knew that she was my vessel. How?"

"Her scent," he replied, "she smelled of wildflowers, and of the earth,"

Rin's grin turned into a reminiscent smile as she surveyed the demon. It had been so long since her last reincarnation had been born onto the Earth, and still her lord protected each one as fiercely as he had the first. He truly did love her.

"I have been waiting for so long to be with you again, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin murmured, almost sadly, "and I know that I say that every time I'm about to reenter my newest reincarnation, but it's true,"

Sesshomaru watched her in silence, and she liked how his eyes never strayed from her own. She liked how she could see glimpses of his love in the gold of his eyes. The emotions that would never be voiced, but that she knew were there. She was his daughter, after all. She took a step towards him before her eyes widened with uncertainty, and then she turned her gaze towards the floor.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I should continue coming to you," she murmured sadly.

"Why?" he asked, and sounded just as nonchalant as ever. She turned her fluorescent eyes back to him before she began fiddling with her hair nervously.

"Every time I come back, I'm only alive for fifty or sixty years," she began as she bit her lower lip, "which flies by in the blink of an eye for a demon. That's hardly enough time to be beneficial, to be worth the wait. Does – Does it hurt when I leave?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered, "because I know you'll return to me. You always do,"

"Yes, but – but what if I stopped coming to you? Then you wouldn't need to always look out for me and worry," she murmured while slowly curling a strand of hair around her finger. Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment before he stood and walked towards her. He came so close that Rin thought he might reach out to her, but he remained still.

"Don't speak of such nonsense. It does not become you, Rin," he answered sternly, and Rin felt her eyes water. Though she always offered the same thing to him every time she'd come back to the Earth, and each time he refused, she was still taken aback that his feelings hadn't changed. It was then that Rin began to cry. He didn't mourn her loss because he knew she'd come back, it was as simple as that. There was no need for her to avoid him, or deny her reincarnation the joy of having a father.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin sputtered in between her sobs/giggles as she rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. Though she knew that he loved her, and would be there if he was needed, it was still nice to see that he truly did care. He didn't look out for her because it was his responsibility or duty to, but because he genuinely wanted to. He wanted her in his life, and that was more than Rin could ever ask of the demon lord who had saved her life so many centuries ago and continued to do so vigorously.

Rin let out a light hiccup and covered her mouth with an embarrassed blush before they heard the sound of the front door swinging open.

"Daddy!" her reincarnation yelled from the first floor, "Jaken tried to run me over with the car!" she added angrily as the toad demon let out a squawk of surprise. Rin glanced back at the doorway before she turned to gaze at her father once more.

"It'll only be a little longer," she murmured, "please, watch over her, and don't take what she said to heart. I'm sure Jaken didn't mean to do it, because I remember a time when I used to get on his nerves too," she added with a smile before she reached out and lightly traced the outline of his jaw even though she knew he couldn't feel her fingers. She was a spirit, oracle, ghost, angel, whatever term humans used for those who had passed on from their life on Earth.

"I won't hurt Jaken," he promised as Rin then began to fade from sight. Her body's bright glimmer turned pale before her body became transparent and vanished altogether. Though she was no longer visible, she could still see Sesshomaru as clearly as she had before. She also knew that his heightened senses could tell him that she was still in the room too.

Her reincarnation bounded into the room in the next moment and she watched lovingly as the little girl clutched onto Sesshomaru's pant leg for dear life.

"Jaken's being mean to me again," she complained as the toad demon bounded into the room after her while gasping for air.

"Do not listen to her my lord!" he yelled, "that little – child doesn't know what she's saying! I would never do such a thing to my lord's own daughter!"

"Is that an order from you, Jaken?" Sesshomaru merely asked as the toad's mouth fell open before he collapsed on the ground in a deep bow.

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru. I spoke without thinking," he added, his voice muffled by the rug. Rin's reincarnation stared down at the toad for a moment before she glanced up at Sesshomaru with a mixture of wonder and awe. Rin glided over to the girl's side as her hands gently rested on her small shoulders. She let out a relieved breath when the other half of her soul reacted to her presence and she felt at peace once more. Feeling only half of the person she was was tiring, and she missed how it felt to be whole.

_I only have to wait a little longer_ she thought, _and then I can return to the realm of the living._ When her reincarnation reached the ripe age of fourteen, then she could finally return. It was only right that the part of her soul lost in limbo would return at the age of her untimely death in her past life. Until then she had to keep watch over her and wait patiently for the years to go by. She would not change the woman that her reincarnation would become, just return to the life she had hoped to live before. She would not be aimlessly floating in time and space, waiting for her future self to be born once again. One half was not a whole, and her reincarnation would feel a void in her life until that point when they were joined once more.

"Sesshomaru," little Rin murmured as the demon turned his gaze from where Rin's other half stood to her, "do you think we'll be a family forever?"

"If that is what you want,"

"But what do _you_ want?" Rin asked, and cocked her little head to the side in curiosity.

"Whatever you want,"

"But that's not what I asked!" she pouted, "I want you to be happy too," she added softly while hugging his leg and resting her head against his knee.

"Don't yell at Lord Sesshomaru you insolent little girl! Show him some respect!" Jaken ordered as Rin's grip on Sesshomaru's pant leg tightened.

"Shut up, Jaken," Sesshomaru growled as Rin's other self watched with tenderness as Sesshomaru gently rested his hand on top of the little girl's head and ran his claws through her hair to soothe her.

"I want to be a family," he admitted after a pause, albeit a bit uncomfortably, given that he wasn't a very openly emotional man. Jaken's mouth fell open and Rin grinned from ear to ear. The little girl let out a happy giggle before she hugged the demon's leg tightly and rocked her body back and forth in excitement.

"I love you, Sesshomaru," she replied sheepishly as she stilled her movements, "and I'm happy that you're my Daddy,"

Sesshomaru didn't reply, but continued to idly run his claws through the girl's hair. Rin already knew the words that he desperately wanted to say, but couldn't. _So am I, Rin, so am I. _

(Divider)

_It's really short, I know, but I couldn't bring myself to add to it. I also apologize for Rin becoming such a Marie Sue character in this story, but I can't help it! She's just so darn cute! _

_I'm also unsure on the timing of this chapter. I know that Kagome should be running into Hakudoshi, and that Sesshomaru would **NOT** be leisurely lying around the house with his mate in potential danger. So, I figured this could be a sort of side chapter. So this time is placed sometime after Kagome and Sesshomaru become mates, but before all the mess with Hakudoshi starts. I hope this isn't too confusing to some people! _

_If it really is too off topic, or some people think I should wait on this then let me know and I'll take it down. Rin's spirit is vital to the story though, which was how this whole chapter started. I'd love to hear feedback!_

_Until next time! (the next chapter will be up shortly, I promise!) _


	30. A new development

_So...I know I promised a chapter really soon, but summer school proved to be far more strenuous than anticipated. Please forgive me! I hope to be back on track with my writing since the semester is almost over. Again, I'm really sorry this took so long!_

_Review Corner_

_Sesshylover91: Sorry about the late posting! Hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for the review!_

_Crystal jade2: Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!_

_DarkRavie: Thanks so much for the review! Hope you like this chapter too! _

(Divider)

Kagome turned her head this way and that as she ran across the street, checking for passing cars and people. If she kept her head down, and didn't make eye contact with anyone, she should be able to make it to her apartment undisturbed. Given that the paparazzi couldn't get enough of her meant that she'd have to be horribly discreet.

She pulled her jacket collar up a little higher to cover the edges of her face and grabbed for the pair of sunglasses in its pocket. It wasn't much of a disguise, and she probably looked more suspicious than before, but it was all she could think of. She was also keeping her thoughts on going back to her apartment to a minimum, hoping that she wouldn't anger the dog demon waiting in his office for her.

She knew Sesshomaru wouldn't be too keen on the idea of her going, but the image of the cloth of Hakudoshi's shirt on her windowsill was too important to wait on. He may be on his way to take it back so she wouldn't be able to get one of the demons to scent it and find him. Though, with her heightened senses she may be able to scent him out herself. Soon she'd probably grow little silver ears and a tail. The idea brought a smile to Kagome's lips before she pushed it away and hurried down the next block.

If she planned on making it to her apartment before Hakudoshi did she'd have to pick up the pace. It was times like this that Kagome desperately wished for Sesshomaru's speed so she could teleport herself to her apartment instead of relying on her human legs to get her there.

She scurried past the next few blocks before her apartment building came into view and she let out a breath of relief. She had gotten there a lot faster than she thought she would. Without wasting another second she ran over to the steps before she bumped into someone coming out of the building.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out as the person grabbed for her arm and kept her from reeling back. She blinked in surprise before she turned her head around to see that it was her landlord. An independent man in his mid fifties with gray hair and wrinkled tan skin stared back at her. His soft black eyes brightened when he recognized her.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed, "I was so worried you had gotten kidnapped by whoever broke into your apartment when I hadn't seen you these past couple days!"

"Why would you think that?" She asked back as he righted her and let her arm go. She had come back the day before with Koga to view the damage, but she also hadn't seen her landlord then. She instantly regretted not searching for him and letting him know that she was alright.

"It was in this morning's paper," her landlord stated before grabbing a copy that was sitting on the steps. Kagome took one look at it before letting out a groan. In big bold letters the headline read: **A Celebrity Girlfriend's Worst Nightmare**. Underneath the text was a statement that read: _A possible lover on the side meddling in Ms. Higurashi's life to even the score?_

"If it was an ex he'd be going after Sesshomaru, not me," Kagome growled in outrage before the landlord tossed the paper aside.

"I didn't believe that mumbo-jumbo either, and I'm happy to see that you're safe," he said, "you should probably stay clear from this area for awhile Kagome, in case the culprit comes back. Don't worry about this month's rent, you already have more than enough to worry about,"

"But – "

"I won't hear any complaining," he said while holding up a hand to stop her, "it's the least I can do for you,"

"But your building...you'll go under if all the tenants don't pay every month's rent!" Kagome exclaimed, knowing of only three other tenants that her landlord rented out to. He barely broke even every month, based on what the property was worth and how much he charged each of his tenants.

"I'm a rather well off man, Kagome. I can take care of one less month of rent," he assured her, "now I assume your here to gather some of your things? Are you going to live with that Tashio fellow until things die down?"

"I – yes," she reluctantly agreed, knowing he would think she was crazy if she told him why she was really there. He gave her a swift nod before he bounded down the steps.

"Well I'm off to get some groceries for the weekend barbecue, feel free to stop by!" he called back to her as he happily trotted off down the street. She watched him go with a smile before turning back around to head up the concrete steps. Her landlord had always been one of the nicest men Kagome had ever known. He had even reduced her monthly rent when she had been unemployed for several months, something most landlords would never do. He had offered to cook her meals if she didn't have enough money to buy groceries that week. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she pulled the security door open that he had left ajar. Now wasn't the time to reminisce about "the old days." She pulled the door close behind her with a soft click.

She then hurried in before taking the steps two at a time to make it to her apartment. The door was still left open from the burglary, and she noted that there was caution tape blocking the entrance. She knelt on the floor and crawled under them before standing upright on the other side. It seemed the authorities had made a visit. She doubted that they'd be able to trace Hakudoshi though. She surveyed the room to see that everything was left as it had been. Had there been no caution tape on her door she would not have even known that people had been inside since the attack.

She spotted the broken widow by what used to be her kitchen table and rushed over to search for the piece of clothing she had seen in her vision. It was there! Her eyes brightened in hope when she spotted the light purple cloth stuck to a broken shard of glass. Taking care not to touch it with her hands, she covered her fingers with her shirt before stuffing it in her jean pocket. Though the city was big, Kagome didn't doubt for a second that Sesshomaru couldn't sniff out Hakudoshi in the crowd. _He won't __be too pleased that I came back here though_, Kagome thought with a sigh.

"Kagome," a level voice greeted her from a few spaces behind her. Kagome gave a start before she whirled around to spot Kikyo in the doorway. She gave her a faint smile as she surveyed her with distant eyes.

"Even though you're a demon's mate, you still couldn't sense me. Just how powerful are you supposed to be?" her cousin asked with slight curiosity. Kagome fisted her left hand before she shook her head and turned away from her. She wasn't worth her frustration.

"I don't have time to play your silly games," Kagome muttered through ground teeth. Kikyo kept her small smile in place as she walked towards her, gracefully pulling the caution tape over her head on her way in. Kagome tensed as her cousin neared her, and couldn't help but wonder if she knew about Naraku and the others. If she knew how much trouble she could be in if Hakudoshi should happen to show up at that precise moment.

"I don't see you for months and you don't even give me a proper greeting?" Kikyo scoffed playfully, "I would hope my cousin cared enough about me to at least tell me about her new boyfriend,"

"What's there to talk about? Shouldn't Inuyasha have filled you in on all of this?" Kagome asked back as Kikyo paused before she slowly began to circle her. Her long black hair trailed after her lean frame as she brought her hands behind her back and looked everywhere but at her.

"A story can be told in different ways, from different view points dear cousin," Kikyo answered, "and I want to hear your side of the story," she added as she walked up and twirled a lock of Kagome's hair around one finger. Kagome stared from her cousin's pale face to her twisted finger and back again before her entire body tensed. Kikyo's smile only widened at the look of realization and fear that brightened Kagome's dark brown eyes.

"So, you've figured it out? Took you long enough," Kikyo chided before Kagome brought her hands up and roughly shoved Kikyo away. She let out a curt laugh as she caught herself before she angled her body to make a jump at her. Kagome spun out of her grasp as she brought purifying energy to her fists and used its power to push Kikyo against the wall. She recovered without a scratch, sending Kagome an excited smile.

"I knew you got stronger, but I didn't realize that you're still as vulnerable as you were so long ago," she stated before Kagome watched with analyzing eyes as her face began to change. Her angular features turned soft, her eyes turning from brown to red, and her straight hair turning into curly locks. Her clothes began to change as well, her pink tank top and skinny jeans filling out into a tan business suit as her lean frame filled into the much broader one of a man's.

"Naraku," Kagome murmured under her breath, already sensing Sesshomaru's mind probing hers. His thin lips turned up into a smile as he folded his arms over his chest and surveyed her with hooded lids.

"I'm surprised it's just you," he stated, "I thought Sesshomaru would have been smarter than to just leave his mate unprotected while I'm still running around the city," he added. Kagome lifted her chin at the challenge his body projected.

"I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for," she defended, "I won't be taken by surprise a second time,"

"Don't get too excited," Naraku replied, "though I'd love to prove you wrong, I'm not going to fight you here," he added before his eyes searched the ceiling for a moment.

"What are you looking at? If you're trying to get to Sesshomaru than you obviously want me," Kagome snarled, and covered the fear that welled in her chest when she felt something close to claws grow from her fingernails. There were still so much from the demon side that Kagome hadn't learned how to control yet.

"I'm flattered that you want to die by my hands, but I fear that my presence is needed elsewhere," Naraku answered before he disappeared and reappeared in front of her. She let out a gasp of surprise before his hand shot out and held her jaw prisoner.

"Now that I know how to get into your mind, it'll be easy to find you," he told her as his hold tightened, "I wouldn't want to kill such a pretty dog demoness just yet, besides it'll be more fun fighting you when you have your mate with you," he added before he released her. Kagome searched his eyes for a moment before she worked her jaw and turned away from. She felt Naraku's eyes on her, and fisted her hands at her side before she brought her face back up to glare at him with what she was sure were bright red eyes.

"Naraku, I'm far more of a challenge than you think," she told him with a smile before she brought her hand up and shot a large wave of pure energy in his direction. His eyes widened in a panic just as the energy made contact with his chest and burned away his suit before he disintegrated before her.

"That was for Rin," she growled as she bent under the caution tape and made her way back towards the entrance.

Hakudoshi watched the human – or whatever she was – walk towards the staircase as he appeared out of the shadows with his hands folded within his kimono sleeves. His light violet eyes turned towards the space where Naraku once was. A wooden puppet was the only remnant of his clone left from the blast the woman had released only moments before.

"You had her alone, why didn't you just kill her?" he asked as the true Naraku materialized before him. He smiled in Hakudoshi's direction before gazing towards the direction Kagome had gone.

"If I killed her here, what fun would that be?" Naraku asked back before lowering his voice,"She has become stronger in her new form...and still as feisty as she was," he smiled. Hakudoshi knew that Naraku had planned the entire meeting, down to purposefully leaving part of Hakudoshi's kimono behind as "evidence" after invading her mind. Naraku had known that she couldn't refuse to come on her own if she thought she could put a stop him.

"I never understand why you're motivated to string them along so much," Hakudoshi replied angrily, "if you would have just left her to me I would have killed her the moment she walked in,"

"I must have kept you in your cage for far too long, Hakudoshi," Naraku replied, "you've lost your desire for the thrill of the chase. If you live too in the moment you'll never be a step ahead of your opponent," he added before his red eyes turned towards the ceiling again.

"Kagura failed in kidnapping Rin, again," Hakudoshi stated even though Naraku already knew and turned his eyes to glance up at his "master," "did you really think she'd be able to carry it out? She's too attached to Sesshomaru to take Rin from him. Had she meant to do her mission, she would've just taken the girl the moment she laid eyes on her from the beginning," he scoffed.

"If you think you're ready for such a task, then you will take over her responsibilities," Naraku answered, "but you must be discreet, I'm not ready for Sesshomaru just yet," he added in warning as Hakudoshi nodded before he disappeared under a veil of shadows.

Kagome bounded down the stairs two at a time as an alien feeling filled her chest. It felt like she was burning from the inside out. She couldn't get a hold of Sesshomaru's mind to find out if it was him, or if her body was reacting to the amount of pure energy she had shot at Naraku. Either way, she needed to find Sesshomaru fast.

A flash of silver caught her eye as she turned in time to spot someone with long silver hair standing a few feet away from her. They were separated by a sheet of glass and she tensed before facing the stranger as they did the same. It was only after a pause that Kagome realized the silver haired stranger was her. Her eyes widened as she relaxed her stance and stared at her reflection. Her eyes had lightened to a golden hue and her face looked brighter than usual. She still had her tan complexion, which seemed to greatly contrast her thick silver tresses.

As she studied her new looks, she remembered Naraku's words about upsetting a dog demoness. If her appearance had changed before him, then why hadn't he reacted in surprise? Her light eyebrows inched towards her nose as she fought within herself to revert back. She imagined her midnight black hair and dark brown irises as she stared at her reflection, but her appearance remained the same. Had Naraku triggered this transformation?

_Maybe I'm not a full blooded demoness,_ she thought as she continued to study her reflection. She had no markings on her face like Sesshomaru had in his true form. Excluding the light silver hair, she'd look more like Inuyasha than Sesshomaru. They both had tan skin, no markings on their face, and golden eyes. Could she be a half-demon?

_Kagome_, Sesshomaru's voice rang in her mind clearer than ever, so much so that Kagome was convinced the dog demon was hiding somewhere on the staircase.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome called out for good measure, only to laugh at herself when no one answered back.

_Rin was attacked_, Sesshomaru continued, _and a few other employees at the company mentioned random strangers following them home. It isn't safe for you to be out on your own any longer._

_I know_, Kagome messaged back, _something...happened_.

_What, mate?_ Kagome felt a delightful shiver run down her spine at the title, unable to help the flashback of their intimate time together the night before. She blushed when she realized that Sesshomaru could probably see her memory too, and quickly erased the thought as she reverted back to the issue at hand.

_I ran into Naraku on my way back to my apartment,_ she added and hurried on when she started to sense Sesshomaru's rising protectiveness kick in, _I'm not hurt, and I was able to purify Naraku, but something happened to me afterward. You'll see what I mean when I get back._

Her message was met with silence, but Kagome didn't let it get to her. Sesshomaru was most likely pondering how she had been able to defeat Naraku on her own. Or if he was really gone. She gave her reflection one last long look before she continued down the stairs and out the door, only to jolt backwards when Sesshomaru appeared before her. She wasn't sure how long he had been there, or if he just materialized there somehow, but she gripped her heart to stop it from leaping out of her chest.

"Holy sh – Sesshomaru! At least give me a warning before you poof out of thin air like that," Kagome gasped as she composed herself. His golden eyes turned towards her before he took a second or two to study her. He looked as calm as ever, and she didn't even see a glint of interest hit those golden depths before he turned towards her apartment building and moved past her to get inside.

Kagome was about to feel offended just as his hand reached back and grabbed her wrist to tug her alongside him. It was a simple caress, but it gave her all the security she needed.

"Where's Rin?" she asked, feeling horrible for not asking him the moment he had mentioned she'd been attacked earlier.

"With my father," Sesshomaru replied, "she'll remain there for a few days until she recovers,"

"Is she OK?" Kagome asked, but felt a chill run up her arm when Sesshomaru closed his palm over her wrist and rubbed his claws along her skin. Sesshomaru had never seemed like one to talk about his feelings or show his emotions, so when she felt his claws rub along her skin she felt her eyelashes flutter at the idea that Sesshomaru was genuinely concerned. His mind was closed to her, but she could feel the slight tug of worry pull her mind closer to his. She wondered if she'd ever get a closer look into his thoughts.

"She's fine, just a little jolted. Nothing my father can't fix," he replied and Kagome felt another chill run up her arm when she felt something close to anger singe her skin. Sesshomaru was upset by the fact that Rin could only be consoled by his father. Her silver brows inched towards her nose at the thought, and she wondered if Rin feared being around Sesshomaru. Could the dangerous events be triggering a sort of fear in her? Was that what was worrying Sesshomaru?

"How is she acting around you?" Kagome asked, and she had to pull Sesshomaru to a stop before the dog demon turned to look back at her. He glanced at her with emotionless eyes, and for the first time Kagome noticed how much of a mask they were for him.

"Scared," was his simple reply.

"What will you do if she...can't handle it?" Kagome asked.

"She did in her past life, she will again," he answered.

"You can't put that kind of pressure on her," Kagome retorted, "before any of this happened I lived a normal life, granted I'm happy you and Rin are in it now, but it wasn't something I could handle without some kind of fear. She's only seven years old...and this isn't the feudal era anymore," she added, though grimaced slightly when Sesshomaru let go of her hand with a soft snarl as if it burned him.

"Once Naraku is finished there will be nothing left for her to fear," he replied, before turning away from her to head up the stairs. Kagome knew she had struck a nerve with what she had said, but she couldn't simply say that Rin would stay with him. She was young, and wasn't as prepared for such attacks like she had been in the feudal era. Kagome quieted the need to continue their conversation about Rin and mutely followed after Sesshomaru.

(Divider)

"Lord Sesshomaru! I'm so happy to see that you have returned!" Jaken exclaimed excitedly as he saw his lord and his mate walk into the house. Being on his own hadn't been as relaxing as he would have hoped. He even missed hearing Rin's shrill voice prattling on about school.

Sesshomaru ignored his cry of excitement as he ventured towards the staircase, Jaken didn't mind. Instead, he was much more enchanted by the human woman's transformation. Although she didn't smell like a full demon, she looked the part.

"How did you change so suddenly, Ms. Hagurashi?" Jaken asked in amazement as he took in her light hair and golden eyes. Had he only met her in this form! There would have been no question in Sesshomaru's tastes, given that she held many of the characteristics of the dog demon clan.

"I'm not entirely sure myself, but I think we'll find out tonight," Kagome replied, and Jaken couldn't help but stare. Seeing her in her mangy human form had been torture in itself, but to see her so beautiful, it was hard to look away.

"Tonight?" he parroted back, and she gave him a quick nod before looking over his head at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairwell. Jaken adverted his gaze when he saw his lord pass by, not wanting to anger him with his straying eye, before he noticed the orange and green kimono folded against his chest. He instantly stiffened at the sight of it, and looked up at his lord's face in surprise.

"My – My lord! Don't you believe she is still too young to hear of her past life?" Jaken asked hurriedly, suddenly fearing for the young girl's welfare. Sesshomaru had saved the kimono for such a trying time, in hopes that the sight of it would trigger a memory in Rin's reincarnation of her past. He had his hunches about the girl when Sesshomaru had begun caring for her, but always had his doubts when she'd do something that did not match her past self's personality. He had named the nameless, homeless girl Rin in memory of the servant girl who obediently stayed by his side until her untimely death. There was still a chance that he had saved a completely different girl, and if that were true she most likely wouldn't want to be the little girl that Sesshomaru spoke of. Because it'd mean that she'd be in grave danger, and have a very high chance of death should Naraku get a hold to her.

"Be silent, Jaken," Sesshomaru commanded, and Jaken obediently shut his beak. He would not disobey his lord, no matter the cost. While he had grown fond of the girl, he had only known her for two years, unlike the centuries he had spent with Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru said nothing on the matter of the kimono, but walked past the two towards his car.

"We'll be back tonight," Kagome promised him as he nodded before she too disappeared out the door.

_If anyone is confused about the "intimate time" that was referenced in this chapter, I had planned to put another love scene in this chapter but I couldn't find a good place to fit it in. If anyone still wants me to do another one I can try to squeeze it in for the next chapter, or if the slight reference is enough that's fine too! Until next time! _


	31. Rin is warned

_Review Corner_

_Crystal jade2: Thanks so much for your review! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

(Divider)

Rin stood in one of the many lavish living areas of her grandparents' estate with Izayoi who was elegantly resting against the wall with a book in hand. Her soft brown eyes didn't flutter from the page as she gracefully slid a finger behind the next page before turning it to continue reading.

"Izayoi!" Rin called out to her excitedly. The woman turned her head slightly to the side to glance up at her before her face softened with a smile.

"Oh, Rin, you look absolutely precious!" the older woman cooed as Rin gave her a wide grin before twirling in place to show off the dress that Inutashio had given her earlier that day. It was a long sleeved dress that split at the waist, with a white cloth that buttoned up to cover her front while red silk covered her legs and rested at the edges of her knees. Inutashio had also given her brand new black shoes and high silk socks that covered whatever skin the dress didn't.

"Do you love it?" Izayoi asked gently as Rin gave her a curt nod before rushing over to wrap her arms around the woman's waist. She let out a surprised sound before she rested her hands on Rin's shoulders and tugged her close with a smile.

"How did the dress fit, Rin? I was never all that good with choosing the right size, but I – well I guess I did well this time, didn't I?" Inutashio laughed as Rin turned from Izayoi to Inutashio. The dog demon gave her a smile and dropped to one knee before opening his arms out wide for her.

"How about giving your talented Grandpa a hug?" he asked, and let out a curt laugh when Rin threw her arms around his neck to grant his wish. He returned the hug for a moment before he held her at arms distance.

"You look so grown up in that outfit," he observed before Rin noted his golden eyes begin to gloss over, "I can't believe it's already been two years since Sesshomaru first brought you to me, and to think I doubted his capability of giving me grandchildren," he added with a light sob as Rin gave him a smile before she pinched his marked cheeks with a giggle.

"You're silly, grandpa. I'm only seven, I still got a lot of growing up to do," she reminded him as he blinked out of his glossy trance and gave her a nod.

"Of course you do, Rin. You have many years ahead of you, and I will do all I can to protect those precious years of life," Rin tensed at his words, and she saw his eyes narrow slightly as he studied her face. She didn't want to be told that she'd be protected. If someone promised protection, then that meant that there was some type of danger she'd need saving from. She had felt like such a burden recently, and she had quickly grown weary of the thought. Why couldn't they tell her that they loved her instead? She'd rather hear that then being told that she needed protection.

She turned away from Inutashio as she thought about what had happened earlier that day. Of how Kagura had threatened her life, and forced Rin to stay away from Sesshomaru.

(Begin flashback)

"Rin, are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" Kohaku asked as he eyed his friend with a worried glance. Rin shook her head before she blushed slightly at his kind words.

"I'll be fine, but thanks anyway!" she chirped happily as the older boy faltered for a moment before giving her an unsure nod.

"I'll come by tomorrow morning to walk you to class," Kohaku promised as Rin waved goodbye to him as he walked in the other direction. It was really nice of Kohaku to go out of his way to fetch her in the mornings, but Rin figured he could use a break. They had had a long day, and she was sure they both needed to get home as fast as they could to start studying.

She waited until Kohaku was out of sight before she turned around and began walking home. She hummed lightly to herself as she walked through the forest that was a shortcut to the house. Kohaku had shown her the trail a few days back when he had come to walk her to school. It cut her commute time from twenty minutes to nearly ten.

She had just hopped over a tree root when something lashed out and grabbed hold of her ankle. She let out a shriek of surprise before she went face first into the ground. What could have grabbed her, and why would they want her? She flung her head around to spot what looked like a large brown tentacle wrapped around her ankle that began to coil further up her leg before it began dragging her along the ground.

She let out another shriek as she frantically clawed at the ground, searching for anything to hang onto. When her rapid movements proved to be fruitless she braved another look around her shoulder to spot twin red eyes glaring at her from a large hole in the tree. Her eyes widened at the alien sight before large gusts of wind flew past her and sent a collection of dust and dirt flying at her face. She quickly covered her eyes with her hands and huddled into a ball as the wind slowly pushed her along the ground. It was only after the strange gust vanished that Rin noticed that her ankle was free.

She made good use of her moment of freedom by bolting to her feet and running. She had only made it a couple of strides before the gust returned and spiraled around her. She halted and covered her face once more as bits of dirt and rock flew at her.

"You could never simply stand still, could you?" a tight voice asked as Rin's body tensed when she recognized that voice. The wind whipped at her hair and clothes before it died down and Rin cautiously removed her hands from her face. Kagura stood before her, but looked different than Rin remembered her. She wasn't wearing the skin tight and revealing clothing that Rin was used to seeing on her. Instead she wore a white and pale purple kimono that completely covered her body. She also held a fan in her right hand that was held up to cover her lips and chin from view.

"Kagura," Rin gulped, her knees already trembling. There was something about her that set Rin on edge. While she had always given Rin a bad feeling, it seemed to have increased tenfold. The woman stared at her for a moment before dismissively shutting her eyes and removing the fan to reveal a knowing smile.

"You're afraid, aren't you? All of this time I've tried to knock some sense into you, and when I finally do I'm no longer watching over you,"she noted with a sign before she shut her fan with her other hand and brought the instrument to her side.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Rin asked before she flinched when Kagura took a step towards her.

"Why would I save you from that puppet if I was going to hurt you?" she asked back as realization hit Rin.

"You were the one that caused those winds,"

"Yes,"

"Why would you save me?" Rin asked as she straightened her stance to gaze at the woman in surprise.

"Don't think I've gone soft or anything," she scoffed, "I only did it because I thought Naraku was taking a cheap shot at Sesshomaru by killing you while you were alone,"

"Naraku...who is he?" Rin asked as Kagura let out an impatient huff before she shook her head.

"It seems like Sesshomaru keeps more information from you than I thought," she answered, "well it doesn't matter, if you want to live you'll stay far away from Sesshomaru,"

"But I – I can't. I love Sesshomaru," Rin replied feverishly before shrinking away slightly when Kagura sent her a fiery glare.

"Do you love him enough to throw your life away?" she answered, "if you stay with him Naraku will continue to target you. Take it from me you little brat, when Sesshomaru shows up tell him that you don't want to be with him anymore. Tell him that you're scared for your life," she added with a stern look.

"But Sesshomaru will protect me from anything. He's on his way to get me right now!" Rin answered confidently. Kagura's eyes narrowed as she let out another impatient scoff before she shut her eyes for a moment as if mauling over a thought.

"That's where you're wrong," she stated after a pause, her voice far gentler than Rin had ever heard, "he didn't come for you when you needed him most in the past. Listen to me, Rin, he's going to make that mistake again," she added rather sadly.

"What do you mean?" Rin asked, her heart nearly stopping in her chest as strange images of a different time and a place began to flood her mind. She didn't know where they were coming from, but she somehow knew what Kagura was talking about. Something had happened to her in a previous life...but what?

Suddenly a bright green light appeared from behind Rin as Kagura quickly evaded the attack, and Rin lost her chance to ask her what she had meant by her last comment. Her brown eyes widened in shock when she recognized the green whip as it solidified before reverting back behind her.

"Kagura," Sesshomaru's voice greeted solemnly as the woman gave him a smile before bowing elegantly towards him.

"Sesshomaru. It's been awhile," she greeted in return before she tugged at the feather in her bun, "but we'll have to cut our meeting short," she added as she threw the feather into the air and it expanded nearly ten times its original size. Rin watched in wonder as she mounted the floating feather and hurriedly disappeared into the darkened sky.

"Rin, where is Kohaku?" Sesshomaru asked as Rin wrapped her arms around her front and shook slightly. The warning Kagura had given her kept floating in her mind. Would she really be left behind by Sesshomaru when she needed him most? Would she lose her life by remaining with him?

"Rin," Sesshomaru voiced once again. She frantically shut her eyes and crouched lower to the ground. She couldn't push the images of her being attacked from her mind. She heard an older version of herself screaming for Sesshomaru, but somehow she knew he hadn't come for her. She felt hot tears streak down her cheeks in her vision, and it took her a moment to realize that she was crying in real time as well.

She felt something soft embrace her before she felt the sensation of weightlessness and knew that Sesshomaru was taking her somewhere. When the feeling faded her tears had slowed but soft sobs started to emit from her throat just as her feet touched cool concrete. She blinked through her tears to see that he had taken her to Inutashio's. The dog demon stood at the entrance with Izayoi as they both stared gravely from Sesshomaru to Rin.

She turned to glance up at Sesshomaru, but he was already gone.

(End flashback)

"Do you love me, Inutashio?" Rin asked as the dog demon blinked in surprise at her before a smile softened his hard features.

"Of course I do, Rin. Why do you ask?" he asked back.

"No reason," Rin replied with a smile, "I just wanted to hear you admit it," she added with a giggle. Inutashio's smile widened at her words before he ruffled her hair.

"I'll never understand how such a sweet girl could put up with my son," he teased before he tensed slightly and Rin saw Izayoi stand straighter through her peripheral vision. Inutashio let go of her suddenly as he rose to his feet and turned towards the hallway.

"Sesshomaru and Kagome, what a treat," Inutashio greeted just as Sesshomaru and Kagome walked into the room. One of the maids bowed low to Inutashio and Izayoi before she disappeared back down the hall. While Rin was sure that Kagome looked as normal as before, she thought she had seen her come around the corner with silver hair and golden eyes. It was only for a moment, and she wondered if she had imagined it since Kagome looked back at her lovingly with brown eyes and raven hair.

"Father," Sesshomaru replied before his eyes traveled to Rin. She felt her body quiver in fear at his gaze. While she had seen him look like that when he fought multiple demons she had never been the recipient of that stare. Wait, where had that come from? She hadn't seen him fight countless demons besides the few that had started attacking her and Kagome.

"Rin, were you hurt when Kagura attacked you?" Kagome asked suddenly, breaking Rin's train of thought. She turned towards Kagome before lightly shaking her head. She hadn't been terribly hurt by Kagura, in fact the woman had saved her from the "puppet" she had mentioned.

"Kagura saved me from a puppet," Rin told them, and saw the couple exchange glances before returning them to her.

"Did she say why she saved you?" Kagome asked.

"She said that I was supposed to stay away from Sesshomaru. That I would live longer if I did," Rin replied as she gave her adoptive father an apologetic glance. While she was afraid of Kagura's warning, she still couldn't deny that she felt safer around him too.

"If that's true, than we'd be more than willing to care for you here, Rin," Inutashio offered before he glanced back at Sesshomaru and Kagome, "if only until Naraku is defeated. You are Sesshomaru's daughter, after all," he added.

"But what about school? Having her coming and going from your estate would raise attention and might jeopardize you and Izayoi," Kagome replied.

"I'll home school her while she's here," Izayoi answered, "I used to be a teacher before I met Inutashio. While my lessons might be a bit dated, I'm sure I can keep Rin up to speed with what she was learning in school," she added with a smile.

"It'll give you two the freedom to continue hunting Naraku without worry," Inutashio stated, "I'm sure with all that time on your hands that's what you two would do above all else, am I right?" he added with a smirk and a certain twinkle in his eyes. Rin stared blankly at a blushing Kagome and a neutral Sesshomaru.

"Oh, which reminds me. Kikyo was here a few hours ago," Izayoi interjected.

"How would something like that remind you of Kikyo?" Kagome barked back, her face still glowing in a deep flush, "I'm sorry, that was out of line," she murmured a moment later.

"Well, she was here looking for you, Kagome," she answered, ignoring her previous outburst, "she said that it was urgent and that you'd understand what she meant," she added as Kagome gave her a clueless look before she hung her head.

"The only time something is urgent is if it has to do with Inuyasha," she muttered, "she probably wants to tell me that they're back together," she added under her breath with a sigh.

"You should go to him," Rin urged, and gave the group a shy smile when they turned to look at her in surprise, "If Uncle Inuyasha is in trouble, than maybe Kikyo knows that he needs your help," she clarified.

"She did ask that you bring Sesshomaru with," Inutashio added, "I'd be careful around her. While she might not have as much raw power as Kagome does, she's still a threat. It may even be a trap," he warned the couple. The two gave him a nod before they turned around and began to walk back towards the entrance.

"Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out right before Sesshomaru was out of sight. The dog demon paused for her as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his legs. He stiffened slightly at her embrace, but a second later she felt him pat her head lightly. She released him and saw him falter slightly before he continued on with Kagome at his side.

Rin waved even though she knew they couldn't see her. She only hoped that they'd come back for her once they defeated Naraku.

(Divider)

"What a surprise to see you here," Kagura huffed as she glanced at Inuyasha. He sent her a glare when he heard the sarcastic tone that lined her voice. She only lifted her head and looked down her nose at him.

"I could say the same thing. It looks like you finally got yourself a real job," he replied.

"How dare you? Like you ever lifted a finger in your life!" she ground out through her teeth.

"That's enough, Kagura. You wouldn't talk to me that way would you?" a voice asked as a man appeared from a nearby office. He was slightly taller than Inuyasha and wore a suit that rivaled his brother's. Half of his curly hair was pulled up in a ponytail while the rest rested on his shoulders.

It was then that Inuyasha felt like he hadn't dressed for the occasion. He had a gym bag slung over his shoulder and wore a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. In all honesty, he had gone to the gym beforehand to work out and planned on heading out to lunch with Kikyo afterward. He hadn't taken the man's offer as genuine, and wanted to make sure that he could prove he hadn't taken it seriously when he told him so. It seemed like he had actually meant to sign him on as his successor.

_I guess Kikyo was right_, he thought with an inward sigh. He'd have a great time telling her what she already knew later.

"It's good to see you, Inuyasha. I had my doubts of you showing up today," he replied as he stepped away from his office and motioned for him to enter, "after you, my friend,"

Inuyasha gave Kagura another glare as he walked inside, and didn't miss the fire that burned at his back from hers before Naraku shut the door.

"So, I take it your trip here was easy enough?" Naraku asked.

"Listen, let's just cut to the chase. Do you really mean for me to take over your company?"

"Overzealous are we? Fine, we'll do things your way," he smiled, "I do plan on signing you over. I have the paperwork already made up for you to sign," he added while pulling out a sheet of paper from his desk.

"Actually, I got a lawyer to write up a written promise of you signing over the company to me," Inuyasha replied as he pulled out a piece of paper from his gym bag. He shook out the crinkled page before he began smoothing it out with his hands against Naraku's desk.

"Hmm, it looks like you came...prepared," Naraku noted as Inuyasha gave him a confident smirk.

"I may be the younger than my brother, but I'm not stupid," he answered.

"Interesting choice of words," Naraku replied, "if you still doubt my intentions. We agreed that you wanted to see your brother's company plummet to a point that he could be bought out. I also aim for that dream, so it's only natural that we work together. Signing you over as my successor will cause suspicions to fly, but it would be smarter than you simply meeting with me to strategize," he explained.

"You really think you could monopolize your – I mean our company?" he asked as he handed over the sheet of paper for Naraku to sign. He picked up a pen and scribbled his signature down on it before handing it back to him.

"That signature should be proof enough," he answered, "now that you are legally my successor, it only seems fit that you begin your work now,"

"Now? I thought I'd get a week off or something," Inuyasha replied.

"That's out of the question, what would you learn by being absent? No, only when you spend all of your time and energy here will you be properly prepared to inherit my company. You have to learn how things work around here, after all," Naraku replied with a smirk. Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at his choice of words before he felt a set of hands wrap around his neck.

"Hey! What the f – !" he grabbed hold of someone's head as he fought against his capture with a snarl.

"You didn't really think you'd get my company that easy, did you?" he asked, "and I'm glad that you kept this proposal to yourself. Keeping you here would have been far harder if any newsreporters had gotten wind of it," Naraku added as a young girl appeared behind him with a mirror in her hands. Her long white hair framed her innocent face but amplified her lifeless dark eyes.

"Look into the mirror," she whispered gently as Inuyasha's captor slammed his head against Naraku's desk and held him there. Before he could shield his eyes from the girl's mirror he found himself hypnotized by it. His struggles gradually slowed as the life began to slither of out his body into the girl's mirror.

"Be careful, Kanna. We don't want to kill him just yet," he heard Naraku say as his world began to go black and he suddenly forgot why he had struggled in the first place.

(Divider)

A/N: Woo, exciting stuff! =) I'm so excited to be back on track with the plot line. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	32. Kikyo becomes an ally

_Next installment already done! So excited that I was able to update so quickly! Let me know what you all think!_

_Review Corner_

_Yumi: Thanks so much for your review! And I promise I'll add another love scene soon! _

(Divider)

Kagome felt her heart beat quicken as she ran towards a large being, her legs screaming for her to slow down her pace. Her long hair fluttered against the middle of her back as she struggled to keep pace, cursing the fact that she was human. _If only I had Sesshomaru's speed! _She thought in aggravation while her fist clenched on her bow.

Ah-Uh flew ahead of her and gave out a loud growl, reminding her of his presence. She glanced at the flying dragon through the trees for a moment before she signaled for him to come closer. He flew down to her level and she quickly hopped on his back before he took to the skies and she kept a sharp look out for signs of Naraku or Sesshomaru. A moment later her eyes were caught by the sight of a large shadow below the clouds that greatly resembled a spider.

"There!" Kagome had to shout to be overheard over the winds whipping past her face. Ah-Uh let out another growl as it descended and Kagome readied her bow. Latching the arrow to the string of her weapon she waited impatiently for the clouds to clear.

"Naraku!" she screamed in rage when she spotted his true form. The spider took his eyes off Sesshomaru at the sound of her scream and she let her arrow fly. It surrounded itself with her purifying energy as it descended towards him and managed to hit him between the eyes. He let out a loud hiss as her power purified his head into a cloud of dust. She watched him closely before declaring her victory, and noted with the narrowing of her eyes that his head was regenerating.

"Ah-Uh get closer!" Kagome ordered as the dragon flew towards the baron battlefield. She took the precious seconds of Naraku's regeneration to take in Sesshomaru's form and noted that he looked perfectly fine.

"Figures," she muttered under her breath as the dog demon's silver hair whirled in the breeze, emphasizing his angelic features. His clothes hadn't even been tattered from the fighting and he held Bakusaiga like he hadn't bothered to lash at Naraku at all. Naraku's battle cry caught Kagome's attention as she swerved her head back towards the large spider and saw that his head was fully regenerated.

"You'll pay for all the lives you've stolen, Naraku!" Kagome cried out as she loaded another arrow and shot at his head once again. She continued reloading until Naraku was completely surrounded by purified dust. She would've been proud of her actions if she hadn't heard him begin to laugh.

"Yes, Kagome! Give it to me! Give me all of your rage...your hate!" Naraku ushered with a mad chuckle as the dust cleared and she saw that he looked like she hadn't made a single hit. Her eyes widened in shock before she grabbed for another arrow but paused when she only felt two feathers. She had foolishly shot the majority of her ammo without waiting to see what type of effect it would have on him.

She sat stationary on Ah-Uh's saddle, unsure of her next move. She couldn't waste the two arrows she had left. She'd have to wait for the perfect moment. She glanced in Sesshomaru's direction to notice the dog demon's eyes on her. He was weighing her thoughts before he made his next attack.

She tried to show him her worry through her eyes, but wasn't completely sure if he could read them. She was still somewhat masked by the clouds, and he was very far away. He seemed to get some type of message that she was in a dilemma though, for in the next moment he bounded towards Naraku with a raised Bakusaiga.

He dislodged Naraku's legs one at a time and the spider's large body quickly fell to the side when he lost his balance. But just like he had done with her arrows, his legs simply regenerated themselves. Kagome worried her lip slightly as she wondered how she'd get to him.

She watched as Sesshomaru continued slashing at his body and let out a surprised cry when she spotted a white flash behind Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru!" she screamed, forgetting to add his title for the first time since she was forced to stay at his castle. He quickly turned around to fend off the second attacker, and when he landed Kagome recognized the attacker's violet hair.

"Hakudoshi," she whispered in surprise before her eyes widened in realization. Hakudoshi had been one of Naraku's creations, but part of his body had been stored away with Naraku's heart.

_That was only until recently, now his heart and the baby are a part of Hakudoshi again. Naraku has brought Hakudoshi back from the abyss that your monk friend had trapped him in._ Kagura's words rang in Kagome's head as she shut one eye to try and aim at Hakudoshi. She only had two arrows left and she needed to make them count.

When she was confident that she could predict Hakudoshi's next move she quickly loaded her bow and waited for the perfect shot. She held the bow taunt as Sesshomaru easily pushed the boy away while fending off Naraku's advances. As she studied the boy she wondered if he was deliberately making it easy for Sesshomaru to fend him off. They had only battled Hakudoshi a couple of times, but he had been far more of a problem than he was being at the moment.

_What if he wants Sesshomaru to beat Naraku,_ she thought as her hold on her bow dwindled slightly, _what if he's really an ally?_ While she really wanted to believe that they could have another potential ally she couldn't help remembering that he had their one way of beating Naraku lodged in his chest. There was no way she could allow Naraku to continue living after the pain he had caused her and Sesshomaru.

Tears pricked the sides of her eyes as she envisioned the sight of Rin on the delivery table. Of how destroyed she had looked with tear streaks stained on her pale cheeks. Kagome let out a pained breath as she shut her eyes to erase the memory and brought her spirit back to its peaceful state. She could not taint her purifying power now. Not when they were so close to bringing Naraku down.

_Don't worry Rin, we will avenge you_, Kagome promised with new found courage as she aimed her arrow once again at Hakudoshi. The boy jumped out of the way of Bakusaiga and Kagome took the chance and let her arrow shoot at his levitating form. He seemed to have sensed her arrow for a barrier appeared around his body to deflect it. Kagome cursed as she fingered the last arrow in the carrier tied to her back.

Although she had wasted an arrow, Sesshomaru seemed to have noted the fact that it was Hakudoshi who was protected by Naraku's barrier rather than Naraku himself. He quickly changed tactics as he launched himself at Hakudoshi instead. Naraku let out a hiss at this change before he began swinging his large legs in Sesshomaru's path. The dog demon quickly evaded the large half demon's attacks as he sent a wave of Bakusaiga's power at Hakudoshi. It made a direct hit against Naraku's barrier, but wasn't able to break it.

Kagome's eyes widen at the sheer power that left Bakusaiga before an idea hit her. Perhaps if they could blend both their attacks together they could break through Naraku's barrier. She and Inuyasha had been able to tag team multiple times against Naraku with success.

Without wasting another moment she hastened Ah-Uh towards his master as the dragon quickly landed a few yards away from the fighting trio. Sesshomaru seemed to notice her landing for he quickly sent another wave of power towards the two as Naraku's body disintegrated but parts steadily began regenerating. Hakudoshi continued to levitate near Naraku's reforming body with his barrier protecting him, but did not attack.

"Sesshomaru, you're alright," Kagome noted with relief as the dog demon neared her. She noticed with slight surprise that he didn't glare down at her when she greeted him so informally. He did not return her greeting though, and the small silence that had fallen over them contradicted Kagome's previous observation. She would have hung her head at the awkwardness, but remembered that they had limited time left.

"I have an idea on how to stop Naraku," she added, and took his eye contact as cue to continue, "if we work together we can both attack Hakudoshi. My arrow's light and your Bakusaiga's power might just be enough to break the barrier, and then you can attack Hakudoshi again once the barrier's gone," she explained.

"Are you certain that such a tactic will work?" he asked back.

"Not exactly, but I only have one arrow left and no other ideas," she answered with a small blush.

"Then we shall try it your way, Kagome," he replied before turning around to face the duo. Kagome blinked in surprise before she glanced up at the taller dog demon.

"You just called me by my name...of your own free will," she observed, dumbfounded. He didn't respond but merely rose Bakusaiga, readying it for another attack. She smothered the large grin that was threatening to surface as she arched her arrow and aimed at Hakudoshi.

"On three," she commanded, "One. Two. Three!"

(Divider)

Kagome blinked out of her dream with a start as she glanced around the room to see that she was somewhere she didn't recognize. She was surrounded by white walls and spread out on a futon that was covered in layers of deep blue blankets. A few elegant paintings were scattered along the walls that matched the dark blue of the blankets as well as added a few dark greens and reds to the room. Although she didn't know where she was she couldn't deny the fact that she felt rather relaxed.

"I see that you're awake," Kikyo observed as she entered in from a side door. Kagome stared at her for a moment before she let out a shriek.

"When did I fall asleep? Did you find me on the street somewhere?" she exclaimed worriedly, trying her hardest to remember what had happened last before she had had her version.

"Relax, you were here with me," Kikyo replied levelly, "I've gone through a few visions myself, and realized what had happened to you when you suddenly fainted,"

"What happened before that? Was it something you said that triggered it?" Kagome asked, collecting her wits as her cousin stared back at her with neutral eyes.

"I had merely mentioned Naraku and that he had finally made his presence known," she replied, "Inuyasha told me about his job interview with him and has yet to return. I have kept a close eye on Naraku after Inuyasha first brought him up a few weeks ago. He was a man surrounded by lies and false business deals. I had warned Inuyasha of my suspicions but he merely ignored them. I fear that Naraku is holding him captive, and plans to use him as leverage against his father," she added.

"Inutashio?" Kagome asked in surprise. Although she knew that his business was very valuable, she never imagined that someone would go to such lengths to get to it. She also couldn't suppress her worry for Inuyasha. It was like him to dive into something head first without thinking. She glanced at Kikyo to see if she was just as worried about him as she was, but her expression remained completely masked. Kagome couldn't help but wonder if Kikyo truly cared about Inuyasha, given that she spoke of his possible kidnapping with such a level voice and expression.

_She was never one to show her emotions though_, Kagome thought and remembered how she had never really becomes friends with anyone due to her lack of empathy. Once someone got past her rather shielded outer shell, she could truly be a very caring person. She lowered her eyes as she instantly regretted her previous judgmental words. It was enough that she was telling her and Sesshomaru about him. That alone was proof that she was worried and that she wanted him back safe and sound.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked as she frantically glanced around the room for her mate. Kikyo pointed one elegant finger towards the door she had entered from.

"He's in there. He carried you in here after you fainted and assured me that you'd be fine within a couple minutes," she replied before she paused, "he does seem to really care about you," she added timidly, as if she didn't want Kagome to hear her admit those words.

"He does. In a lot of ways he reminds me of you," Kagome stated and gave her cousin a soft smile when she saw her look up in surprise, "he's rather guarded around others, but once you get past that wall he can be one of the best people to have at your side,"

"Do you mean that?" Kikyo asked as she stared back at her, "I took Inuyasha from you," she added, as if Kagome needed reminding. She forced the reemerged grudge that was tearing at her brain fade away as she gave her a cousin another smile.

"Although it hurt to lose him, if you hadn't taken him than I would have never met Sesshomaru," Kagome replied, "and I could never repay you for such a gift," she added with a grin as Kikyo stared at her for a moment before she gave her a small smile.

"You do seem happy. I'm glad," she answered.

"Thanks," Kagome smiled before her expression turned serious and she grabbed her cousin's hand, "now what leads do you have on where Naraku might be? Sesshomaru and I are looking for him for completely different reasons, so when we find him we'll find Inuyasha too," she explained as Kikyo nodded.

"I do. I know where Naraku is, but I don't think we should go just yet," she replied, "he is far too strong, and his office where Inuyasha is housed is merely a decoy to lead us in. He knows that Inuyasha will serve as leverage against us as well as against his father. If you let me train you we can be a formidable force against him," she added.

"Train? Do you mean back at Inutashio's place?" Kagome asked as Kikyo shook her head.

"There is a deserted archery shooting range a few miles from my apartment. We can go there," she answered, "it's too risky to bring Inutashio and Izayoi into this. I've noticed that Naraku has had his eyes on me, and he seems to realize that I may be a risk to him,"

"How does he have his eyes on you?" Kagome asked with a blink, "you don't see him at your window at night do you?" she asked with a shiver as she fearfully glanced at the large window behind her.

"No, but he has insects that have his demonic energy embedded in them that hover around my apartment from time to time. I've even seen them tail me from the archery range," she replied. Something in Kagome's mind clicked at the mention of Naraku's insects, and although she hadn't seen any in her vision she felt like she had seen them numerous times before. The image of large yellow wasps with dark purple faces flashed in her mind for a moment before she blinked them away. Kagome nodded to Kikyo before she glanced at the door that led to where Sesshomaru was supposed to be.

"If he's watching you then you have to be a threat to him. Do you just want me to train, or Sesshomaru too?"

"I want you two to train together,"

"How will that work? He's a demon and I'm a miko,"

"You are not simply a miko anymore. You have demonic blood in you now, and have your own demonic aura that surrounds you," Kikyo noted as she gathered a good amount of purified energy in her palm before she reached down to touch Kagome's hand. A loud crackle sounded as green streaks of light sparked against Kikyo's hand and she immediately retracted it.

"You want us to train my demonic side?" Kagome asked as she glanced at her hand to find it perfectly intact. It reminded her of the time she had reacted similarly to Inuyasha when he tried to grab for her hand the last time she had seen him.

"Your mate will train your demonic side while I'll train your archery and purifying skills," Kikyo replied, "you see, I've heard your tragic story from Izayoi when we died five hundred years ago,"

"We?" Kagome parroted back, not following her cousin's words. Kikyo gave her a patient smile before she sat back on her legs and rested her hands on her thighs.

"You and I were part of the same person for a time in the past. You were you and I was me, but then I died and returned to the other part of my original soul. You were the other part of me reborn into the future before your traveled back into the past to live in the same era that I did. That was how our souls intertwined and we shared the same body. It was only after our death that our souls were separated once again and we were able to become two different beings,"

"How did you get this all from Izayoi? She didn't tell me anything about us being part of one person before," Kagome replied in amazement.

"She didn't tell me directly. I understood her and Inutashio's subtle hints about how our visions were of different times in the feudal era with two different men. I envisioned Inuyasha while you envisioned Sesshomaru. The tale that Izayoi told me mentioned a woman torn between her two lovers and that, as she lay dying, she promised both that she'd tear her soul in two so that she could have two reincarnations for them in the next life. Thus a part of her soul that loved one man could be with him while the other could join her second lover in the future,"

"So you and I are the woman's soul, torn in two,"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. It is a folk tale after all," Kikyo reminded her.

"What does the folk tale have to do with us, and with Naraku?" Kagome asked.

"In it she had both of our priestess powers when she faced Naraku with her demon lover. If we truly are her two reincarnations than we must work together to muster up as much power as she had," Kikyo replied, "although she also wasn't the demon's mate when they faced Naraku in the past," she added.

"And I doubt she was really his lover either," Kagome mumbled, remembering how excited her previous self had gotten at Sesshomaru merely saying her name. If they had slept together surely they would have used such intimate cues way before then.

"Either way, now that you have this demonic power at your disposal it may change the outcome this time," Kikyo stated, "perhaps if you train enough you may prove to be a strong adversary with your mate and me at your side," she added confidently.

"It's worth a shot," Kagome replied, "and I suggest we make as many arrows as we can,"

"Of course, but why do you say such a thing now?" Kikyo asked back.

"Oh, I just have a feeling it'll be important,"

(Divider)

"Keep your eye on the target, squint if you have to," Kikyo mentored as Kagome held up the bow and concentrated with all of her might. For some reason her purifying power didn't want to spark up. She knew she had used a good amount of it against Naraku's puppet and wondered if mikos' had a limit.

"Just relax and be at peace with yourself. Any raging thoughts will hinder your ability," Kikyo informed her as if able to read her mind. Kagome gingerly pulled the arrow back and tried to envision her previous self and how she had so easily shot at Naraku. If she could shoot with such ease back then she shouldn't have a problem shooting at a flimsy target.

_And to think, I spent all that time training at Inutashio's_, Kagome thought as she ground her teeth together. This should be child's play for her.

"You seem to be holding back," she heard Sesshomaru observe as he watched the two women from a fair distance away. Kagome could tell that Kikyo's pure aura was somewhat uncomfortable for him to be around. She could only assume that he had gotten used to hers, or that her demonic energy masked it to a tolerable level.

"That's true," Kikyo agreed, "perhaps the part of your aura that is demon is preventing you from calling on your purifying energy as easily as before," she added as Kagome loosened her hold on the bow.

"Maybe," she murmured before she sensed Sesshomaru's aura closing in on hers. She quickly evaded his advance as she let out a surprised breath before righting herself.

"Sesshomaru! What the hell?" she cried out as she took a defensive stance.

_Shoot at me_, Sesshomaru replied telepathically, _a demon's power does not surface unless it is brought out by a challenge._

While Kagome thought Sesshomaru had gone completely mad, she couldn't deny the strange excitement that flooded through her system at the idea of him challenging her. Part of her aura sparked and crackled around her as she righted her bow and arched an arrow. There was something about her mate challenging her that caused a sort of hot need to rise within her that demanded his submission. It was even a little kinky.

_Fight back, the feeling will become stronger,_ Sesshomaru told her as Kagome blushed. She hated when she'd forget about their telepathic link. Her embarrassment soon faded when she felt the familiar feel of her pure aura swirl around her arrow. It was like the demonic energy allowed the pure aura free given that they had a common goal to fight back.

"You better get out of the way in time," Kagome warned in a mutter as she aimed and released her arrow. It flew straight and true, and Kagome held her breath when Sesshomaru didn't move. He brought up one hand and easily caught the arrow between his middle and forefinger before he sent a wave of his own green aura to consume her pure one as the weapon instantly disintegrated. Kagome's worry quickly faded into anger as a slight scowl pulled at her lips. Of course he'd use the trial shot to show off.

"Why don't you try this time?" he baited her as her demonic urges rose once again. She sent him a playful glare as she reached for another arrow and set it.

"You'll regret those words," she promised him as she released the arrow with more confidence, knowing that this time it was far more powerful than the first. Sesshomaru seemed to sense it as well, for he easily evaded the arrow but sped towards her and she froze when he appeared mere inches from her.

"You'll need to work on your reaction time," he observed as he caught her wrist with one clawed hand, and when he ran his thumb along the inside of her wrist she gave out an involuntary shiver.

_Although, I do enjoy the fact that I can get a hold of you so easily_, he stated as Kagome's face grew a shade redder. She didn't really know why she was so embarrassed in the first place since Kikyo couldn't hear him, but she still worried that she could read their signals. Suddenly her capture seemed far less predatory and far more sexual.

_We're supposed to be training_, she reminded him as she spun her arm around in a windmill motion to free her wrist from his grasp. She wasted no time in putting distance between them as she brought up a barrier around herself. It surprised even her that she still remembered what Inuyasha had told her about creating one. Sesshomaru seemed vaguely surprised by her defensive maneuver and his expression grew serious as he quickly came at her again.

She arched another arrow and readied it, but couldn't get a good shot when Sesshomaru disappeared in a blur of silver and white. She frantically searched for him with her bow string taunt, but she didn't see him until he struck at the back of her barrier. She felt the tremor of her aura as she whirled around and shot. She held her breath for a moment before he easily evaded the attack and landed on the ground a few feet away.

While a part of her enjoyed the excitement of fighting, another part of her couldn't shake off the worry that she would make a hit and seriously injure him.

_I find your lack of trust in my power a direct insult,_ Sesshomaru stated as he extended his left arm as he centered his aura around his fingertips. Kagome watched defensively as a long whip-like string appeared from his fingers as he flicked his wrist to send it straight at her.

Kagome braced her barrier for the blow as she felt her entire body tremor when his whip made contact. He repeatedly struck it as she flinched whenever it was able to disengage her barrier every so often. Kikyo was right, she needed a lot of work before she was ready to face Naraku.

(Divider)

Kohaku stood at the entrance of Rin's house as he rang the doorbell a third time. It wasn't like Rin to not be ready by the time he got there. While her house was out of the way to school, he couldn't very well let her walk on her own. Ever since yesterday the girl had been his every thought. It was a mistake that he let her walk home alone after school.

_She doesn't like being alone,_ he thought solemnly as he raised his finger to ring the doorbell a fourth time. When there was still no answer he began to really worry. Her butler would have at least answered the door by now. As if summoned by his thoughts, the little man flung the door open with an impatient glare before his eyes landed on Kohaku. The boy flinched at the sheer hatred he saw in the man's eyes as he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you sir, but is Rin ready for school yet?" he asked the butler as politely as he could. He even managed a short bow in apology as the butler let out a huff before he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"She isn't here. She has left with her father for an undisclosed period of time," the butler stated as Kohaku blinked while the information registered in his brain.

"But I have to walk her to school," he replied lamely as the butler let out a sigh.

"If she isn't here than you don't have to walk her," he answered with an uninterested shrug.

"Where did they go?" Kohaku couldn't help but ask, but jumped slightly when the butler sent him a piercing glare.

"What about "undisclosed" do you not understand, boy? If I told you then you'd tell a friend and they'd tell a friend and then my lor – Mr. Tashio and Rin would never be able to enjoy their trip," he replied, "now get off the lawn before I call the police for trespassing," he warned as he slammed the door in his face.

"But...I've been here since Rin started going to school. I'm no burglar," he muttered before he hung his head and turned around. There was no sense in him waiting around for Rin if she wasn't even going to school.

_It must be nice to just take a vacation whenever you want,_ Kohaku thought with a whimsical smile before a horrific realization hit him.

_If she's gone for too long she'll never be able to finish the school year on time. She'll be swamped with schoolwork for months_, he thought as he let out a groan.

"And I'll be the one trying to help her finish it all," he grumbled, already knowing he'd succumb to her if asked for help. He'd really have to learn how to say no to girls sometime soon or he'd never make it to adulthood in one piece.

(Divider)

_Hope everyone liked the chapter! Until next time!_


	33. Kagome needs a little lovin'

_A/N: First off, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in forever! I've been so caught up in school and my other stories that I quickly lost inspiration for this one. But I promise to get back into the groove of this one, and give you all more updates! _

_P.S. I finally put in another sex scene for all of you who were craving one! =D A little treat for waiting so patiently for me to update! _

(Divider)

Kagome let out an long sigh as the cool temperature of the stream gently brushed past her bare skin. The sun had almost set, and Kagome welcomed the darkness while the water washed away her aches and the sweat that had stuck to her form like second skin.

While she was more physically exhausted then she had ever been, she couldn't help the satisfied smile that spread across her lips. Fighting with her demon powers had felt so _right_. She couldn't really explain it, except compare it to finally taking in a breath of much needed fresh air. She felt high with the sensation of it all.

Kagome bent down to soak her hair in the stream, the feel of its cold current like nimble fingers stringing through her tangled black tresses. She let out a long sigh, enjoying the spare moment of feeling _clean_.

Kikyo and Sesshomaru had been working her to the bone, and had barely given her a moment to bathe on a regular basis over the past week. Kagome could only sigh again, although it sounded more like it was stemmed from disappointment rather than relief.

The thought of her mate had dampened Kagome's spirits as of late. He hadn't come near her for the past couple of days, besides sleeping next to her at night. But that was all they had done in bed – sleep. Not that Kagome was complaining too much. She had gone to bed soar and aching all over from all the training the two had put her through.

Even though she had been exhausted, it wouldn't hurt for her mate to at least _try_ to initiate his sexual needs with her. She had sensed his desires in his thoughts, but he had refused to act upon them all week. He had kept using excuses with her each time she had asked.

"You are tired from fighting, you need to conserve your energy, you mustn't push your body too hard, blah blah blah," Kagome recited his words angrily as she stood up to wring her hair out. While she knew that he was right about her needing to rest her body, she couldn't help but worry about him as well.

She remembered how close he had come to having sex with Kagura when she hadn't pleased him after becoming his mate. Could such a thing happen again if Kagome didn't "please" him frequently? And while she somewhat trusted that her cousin was truly in love with Inuyasha, she couldn't help the little voice in her head that kept playing scenarios of Kikyo trying to steal Sesshomaru too.

Their personalities were far more similar than her's and Sesshomaru's were. It wasn't completely farfetched to think that Sesshomaru would be attracted to that side of her. A frown pulled at the ends of Kagome's lips as her thoughts continued down the path of Kikyo and Sesshomaru. As her mind reeled, she found less and less reasons why they wouldn't hook up.

"You have an interesting imagination," Kagome turned at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice to spot the dog demon by the edge of the bank, resting his body against the trunk of a nearby tree. Kagome was about to dunk her entire body into the water out of modesty, but held her ground when she noted how her mate's eyes hungrily took in her naked form.

Her own desires held her still as she reveled in the fact that she had suddenly caught so much of Sesshomaru's undivided attention. She had been subjected to side ways glances and short utterances all week to the point that Kagome was starving for her mate's affections. She wanted to be reminded who's mate she really was, and that he still held her in as high a regard as before.

"Don't doubt such things," she heard Sesshomaru say before she glanced at him with apologetic eyes.

"I can't help it," she admitted solemnly, "you haven't touched me in any way but to fight, and you haven't even kissed me in a week. How am I supposed to feel?"

"Forgive me," Sesshomaru replied, and Kagome could only blink in surprise before he continued, "when I am training I tend to become obsessed with perfecting all of my skills,"

"So, the only way to steer you away from your obsession with fighting is to let you see me naked?" Kagome asked, and was so intent on hearing his answer that she forgot to blush at the bluntness of her question.

"It is not expected," he replied before a shadow of a smile spread across his lips, "but I wouldn't complain about it either,"

Kagome couldn't help her wry smile at his reply before she turned so that her entire front was exposed to his eyes. She enjoyed the slight surprise that overtook his face at the sight of her before it was quickly shielded away under his stoic mask.

"So, since you left me starving for your affections all week, how do you plan on making it up to me?" Kagome asked before she twirled a strand of hair around her index finger, making sure that her arms didn't hide anything away from her mate's devouring gaze.

Sesshomaru didn't answer immediately, just simply stood at the end of the bank. Kagome was about to feel a little put out by his lack of response, but then a brilliant smile spread across her face when Sesshomaru started to undress.

He removed his clothes in much the same way as he fought. His motions were fluid and smooth without the least bit of hesitation. While Kagome always thought she undressed herself rather awkwardly, she couldn't say the same for Sesshomaru. He undressed much like the men she had seen in movies, or visualized in a romance novel.

Before long her mate was entering the water, and even his motions in the water were as easy as they were on land. She tried her hardest not to roll her eyes at how utterly perfect the man, or she should say demon, was no matter the situation he was presented with.

When he was within reaching distance Kagome extended her arms out to him, but paused with a confused look when he quickly disappeared into the water. She merely blinked at the spot where her mate had once been, his speed making it seem like he really had disappeared into thin air. Had she not seem the ripples his motion had made in the water, she may not have even realized that he had gone underwater.

She turned around to search for him, assuming that his silver hair would be an easy marker to spot under the water. The moonlight wasn't as bright as she had previously thought though, and she had a hard time trying to spot any part of him in the water.

Kagome then felt a force grip her thighs as she let out a scream that quickly turned into a fit of laughter when she was easily lifted out of the water and spotted a familiar silverly haired head positioned near her middle. Her hip rested against one of Sesshomaru's shoulders as he easily held her above the waters surface.

"Sesshomaru!" she screamed with a mixture of disbelief and joy as she continued to laugh. He was _playing_ with her. Never would she have pictured Sesshomaru as a particularly playful kind of man. He then quickly dipped her back into the water as he unwound his arms, and Kagome took the chance to fight back with a playful splash.

The water had sprayed much higher than she had predicted, and she let out a muffled apology between giggles as Sesshomaru casually wiped away the water from his face. She stared up at him prettily before she made a mad dash for the shore. She heard the slush of water behind her before the sound of him dunking underwater again.

Kagome let out another laugh before she tried harder to make it to the shore, but she was no match for Sesshomaru's speed. His hands quickly grabbed hold of her legs as he kept her stationary before he emerged out of the water behind her. Kagome shivered with desire when, as he slowly stood his full height behind her, his left hand delicately ran up the back of her body on his way up.

The soft caress of his fingers mixed with the light tingle of his claws against her sensitive skin quickly quieted Kagome's laughter as she turned to glance back at him when his claws had made it to her shoulder. The intimate touch was far better than Kagome had visualized it would feel, and couldn't hide her excitement from Sesshomaru.

His right hand came to join his left as he ran his hands down her arms to meet at her middle. She leaned back slightly to rest her body against his chest as his hands roamed over her front, finally stopping at her breasts. She let out a light moan as he cupped them in his large palms, his calloused hands and fingers scratching her sensitive skin in all the right places.

She shivered against him when his index fingers moved up to run across her nipples. They hardened simply from his touch, and Kagome couldn't hide the soft moan she let out when he pinched them between his thumbs and forefingers.

Kagome felt the soft brush of her mate's lips against her shoulder as he continued to tease her breasts. Her breathing patterns became more ragged as he moved from brushing her nipples with his fingers to rubbing his hands in tiny circles atop them.

His lips had also moved from her shoulder to the base of her neck as she noticed him faintly testing her scent while he "played" with her. Unable to help herself, Kagome let her left arm roam around Sesshomaru's middle before it dipped down to find what she had been looking for.

She felt Sesshomaru go rigid behind her when she cupped his manhood in her hands. His own breathing them matched her own as she caressed him. Her motions were gentle and slow, but she enjoyed how quickly he hardened at her touch.

When she was sure she'd faint from all the stimulation Sesshomaru was giving her, Kagome quickly turned around in his embrace to stare at him full on.

"Make love to me, now," she practically commanded. Sesshomaru seemed somewhat jostled by her request, but she noticed the hesitation in his thoughts.

"You need to be fully rested for tomorrow's training," he replied with the slight clenching of his jaw.

"Don't give me another stupid excuse," Kagome muttered angrily before she let go of him so that she could wrap both arms around his head. She then brought his face down to hers as she passionately locked lips with him.

Sesshomaru remained vigilant to his previous statement as he stood like he was made of stone. Kagome let out a frustrated sigh before she broke their kiss. She looked up at him impatiently as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do I need to rape you to have any kind of sex with you?" she asked before she let out a disappointed breath when he didn't respond. Trying to convince herself that they had improved the sex-less situation somewhat, Kagome turned around to make her way out of the water. She kept in her tears when he hadn't stopped her when she had reached the end of the bank.

She rose out of the water as she walked to where her pile of clothing were situated, and tried to ignore how the cold air excited her body once more. She was about to reach for her shirt when she felt strong arms wrap around her middle and forcibly spin her around. She blinked in surprise when Sesshomaru's lips suddenly claimed her own and she was trapped in his tight embrace.

His lips were harsh and demanding against her own and his tongue tangled and twisted with hers. Her breasts were smashed against his hard chest as she struggled to hold in her heavy sigh at the feel of his body so close to hers. Her hands came up to caress his face before she let her fingers run through his long hair, finding the feel of it both intoxicating and taboo at the same time. His own hands ran from her cheeks to her shoulders before they ran down her arms.

When they finally parted, Kagome could only stare up at him as she searched his eyes. His mind was utterly empty of any thoughts, and Kagome felt like she was strangely lacking without his constant input of messages and thoughts.

"I want you," he said with certainty, "do not ever think otherwise," he added as he put a little space between them to gently cup her breast once again. Kagome's eyes fluttered shut at that, and she nearly went limp in his arms when he bent his head to take the erect nipple into his mouth.

He easily held her up with his free hand as he feasted upon her left breast, both with his lips and his hand. Kagome felt her knees go weak when he then switched his attention from her left to her right breast. Her hands rested atop his head as he ravished her, enjoying how her entire body tingled every time his tongue circled around her sensitive skin.

When she was sure that she would topple over from sheer ecstasy, Sesshomaru easily scooped her up in his arms. She let out a disappointed breath when he took his lips away from her breast, but he easily quieted her complaint with a kiss.

He walked them over to his discarded pile of clothing, and he gently laid her across his robes. Kagome uneasily spread herself out on them before glancing up at him.

"You're clothes will be ruined," she murmured worriedly, but sucked in a deep breath when he knelt down in front of her and quickly spread her legs. Her face reddened when he gazed upon the most intimate part of her body, but her modesty quickly disappeared the moment she felt his tongue run across the ridges of skin shielding her entrance from his view.

She collapsed against his clothes as she threw her head back to let out a loud moan. Her legs trembled from the sensitive caress before her breathing exhilarated when he interchanged the touch of his tongue with his finger intermediately.

His tongue slowly circled around the top of her clitoris as his finger rubbed along the plump lips around it before he gently pushed his exploring finger into her opening. She let out a surprised breath at the feel of his claws, forgetting for a moment that he had them. It's sharp entrance hadn't been painful, per say, but had certainly taken her off guard.

She felt her inner walls clamp down on his finger at the intrusion, and he held it still inside her for a moment. He then took the part of her that he had been teasing with his tongue into his mouth, and sucked. Kagome shuddered at the sheer power of what that action had done to her body, and the walls around his finger relaxed immediately as her ecstasy mounted.

Sesshomaru then slowly began to pump his finger in and out of her, allowing her time to expand to accommodate its size. Kagome felt his motions become easier and easier as she withered in desire at his touch. When his motions became almost completely fluid, he added a second finger.

Kagome was sure that she was near climaxing by the way he was stimulating her, but she didn't want him to simply satisfy her alone. She hurriedly grabbed his arm to stop his motion, and gave him a smile when he moved his head up to look back at her.

"I'll go over the edge if you do any more," she smiled, and allowed him to slowly withdraw his fingers before she moved forward to press her lips against his own. She only lightly kissed him, even though she wanted to be just as ravenous as he was. She wanted to tease him like he had teased her.

She then took his manhood into her hands, and wrapped her fingers around it before she began to gently move her hand up and down its length. She felt her mate's body shudder slightly at her touch, and she smiled against his lips while she continued. It was only when she felt it become completely hard that she broke their kiss. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, enjoying the mist-like quality that had overtaken his golden orbs. She then broke their eye contact to dip her head down and take the tip of his manhood into her mouth.

She heard his sharp intake of breath at that, and she enjoyed when her body tingled as well. Their connection had sharpened considerably from before, and Kagome could feel her own inner most parts respond to the stimulation that Sesshomaru was feeling from her. She let her tongue run around the tip for a moment before her lips tightened around it and she sucked lightly. A short growl-like sound tore from Sesshomaru's throat and Kagome merely took that as permission to continue.

She teased him similarly for a few more moments before she took him deeper into her mouth. She let out a sharp breath when his thoughts connected with hers and she could feel his pleasure from her touch. It fueled her motions further, until she was running her lips along his manhood with as much fluidity as he had done to her with his finger.

She felt Sesshomaru's hand come around to rest along the back of her neck before he gently tugged her away from him. She let out a ragged breath at that before her lips were smashed against his own and he pushed her back down onto the blanket his clothes had made underneath her.

Her hands ran hungrily down his shoulders and back as he rested a knee between her legs so that he could rest his manhood against her opening. He kept it there for a moment, his hesitation evident in his thoughts and actions.

"I can take it," Kagome promised as she held Sesshomaru's face in her hands, "I survived it before, I can do it again. I am your mate, after all," she pointed out, and enjoyed the wry smirk that spread across Sesshomaru's face at her comment.

"It is not a question of your ability to sustain me," Sesshomaru replied, "but of whether or not you desire to,"

"Having you like this is better than not having you at all," Kagome answered before she placed a gentle kiss against his lips. She knew that he thought his demonic side was too much for her to handle, and it _was_ a very intense feeling, but her words _were_ true. She'd deal with this rather savage side of him, if that was what it took to be with him. In reality, she hardly found that side of him a downfall at all. Rather, in a kinky kind of way, she had enjoyed the brutality and ravenous onset of their previous courtship.

Plus she had spent all week fantasizing about this moment, and wouldn't let it be ruined by nerves or hesitations.

Sesshomaru then grabbed her hips as he directed himself inside her. Kagome let out a long moan at the feel of her body stretching to accommodate him. Her inner walls easily accepted him, and her already stimulated body coated his manhood with proof of her desire for him.

His motions were agonizingly slow as he pushed himself all the way inside her. They both let out a breath when he had gotten completely inside, and Kagome arched her back with a sigh when he started to retract himself.

He followed similar maneuvers as he allowed her time again to accommodate to his size. While she did need the extra time to adjust to him, she desperately wanted him to pick up the pace. He shot her a pointed look at the thought, and she gave him a cheeky grin in response.

He then bent down to rest his face in the space between her neck and shoulder while he slowly quickened his pace. Kagome shuddered and groaned at the sensation, and gripped his back urgently when his motions became steadily rougher.

She hadn't realized that she was digging her nails into his skin, but noted it when she felt the sensation against her own back. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, and she felt a light nip of encouragement against her neck as Sesshomaru deepened his thrusts inside her.

Kagome let her nails run along his back, leaving bright red streaks against his pale skin in their wake. His motions continued to quicken as Kagome's light moans turned into short screams as her body began to tighten around him. Before he allowed her to climax though, he quickly maneuvered their bodies.

Suddenly they were sitting up with Kagome on Sesshomaru's lap, and he quickly moved her hips up and down so that she was sliding along his length. Her legs were spread far apart over his criss crossed legs underneath her.

Kagome let out curt groans each time she took him completely inside her. Her groans heightened in their frequency as his manipulation of her body quickened to an almost inhuman degree. Her arms rested against his shoulders and she could only lie limply against his form as he directed her motions.

It wasn't until her body began to tighten once again that she perked up. She arched her back while her head fell back, and she nearly climaxed when Sesshomaru took her bare breast into his mouth and suckled it.

She could feel Sesshomaru's tension increase in his manhood as well, and she quickly picked up her head and pushed him down onto his back in the grass. He seemed slightly taken aback by her action, but he didn't protest when she began to ride him feverishly.

Her speed was no match for how quickly Sesshomaru had her going, but her body responded just the same. She felt Sesshomaru tense up inside her once again, and she rested her body against him while placing kisses along his neck.

She felt her body heightening to a near climax a third time, and let out a faint cry of pleasure when Sesshomaru grabbed hold of her hips and moved her along his length. He quickened the pace until Kagome was sure she'd collapse.

His manhood continued to pierce through her entrance again and again as Kagome raggedly breathed against the skin at the nape of his neck, rendered completely immobile from the pleasure. Just as her inner walls clamped down on him she felt him climax inside her and Kagome let out a scream as she climaxed as well.

She then quickly bowed her head as she sunk her teeth into the sensitive skin at the nape of Sesshomaru's neck that she had been lovingly kissing before. Her vision was muddled by her climax, and she tasted the vague copper-like flavor of blood. Her tastebuds seemed rather muddled as well though, because she couldn't help but lap up the strange liquid like it were water. It had the odd flavoring of a perfectly aged wine, and Kagome couldn't stop until it was all gone and only a small imprint of her teeth remained.

It was only when she retracted her head from his neck that she realized what she had done. Her face instantly paled before she looked at Sesshomaru with a horrific expression.

"I – I _bit_ you," she murmured in disbelief before she let out a shaky breath, "I'm so sorry," she added as she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands. Sesshomaru surveyed her for a moment before he brought up a hand to gently caress hers. He let it rest there before he gently began to pull her hands away from her face.

"You did nothing wrong," he assured her levelly, "you simply signified our mating by marking me, like I had done to you previously. Typically only demon mates mark one another, but I suppose it isn't unheard of for humans to mark their demon mates as well,"

"But I swallowed a little bit of your blood too," Kagome stated before she lowered her eyes with a slight frown.

"That is typical as well," Sesshomaru replied, "drinking a mate's blood strengthens the bond. Ingesting my blood may also give you more of my demonic power,"

When Kagome remained silent after his statement, he gently pulled her down to him so that she could rest atop his chest. Her motion caused their connection between their bodies to break, but neither moved to rectify it.

Kagome could feel the slight awkwardness that Sesshomaru felt at his blatant show of intimacy, but she merely smiled against his skin at his effort to try and console her. She rested against his chest then as she lightly ran her fingers across his pale skin.

"I suppose as long as you aren't peeved about it, then I won't be worried about it either," she murmured before she felt his fingers come up to lazily trace circles across her back. They sat like that for what felt like hours, but Kagome knew were only minutes. She was too utterly content to get up, and although she worried about Kikyo finding them there, she wasn't worried enough to get dressed.

"Your cousin won't disturb us here," Sesshomaru stated suddenly, reading into her thoughts.

"How do you know?" Kagome asked as she glanced up at her mate curiously.

"She was the one who told me where you were bathing," he replied, "and she made it..._evident_ that I should seek you out, and appease your built up sexual aggression,"

Kagome's face turned a dark shade of red at that, and couldn't help but feel embarrassed that her cousin had noticed how strung up Kagome had been all week. Not to mention Kikyo taking it into her own hands by basically telling Sesshomaru to have sex with her to solve the issue. Talk about family intervention.

"Rest," Sesshomaru said suddenly, "I will not go easy on you during tomorrow's training simply because of what transpired tonight,"

Kagome smiled at that before she pressed a swift kiss against his lips.

"Understood," she teased before she walked her fingers along his bare chest, "of course, tomorrow _is_ another day. Do you think we could squeeze in round two while we still have tonight? That is unless _you're_ too tired," she added with a quick wink.

"Are you threatening my ability to please you, mate?"

"Of course not! I would never _dream_ of it," Kagome mocked with a smile before she let out a curt sound of surprise followed by a laugh when he flipped them over so that she was trapped in between his arms.

"Do not expect an apology if you are rendered unable to _walk_ tomorrow. You brought this on yourself, mate," Sesshomaru replied, his teasing only evident in the slight rising of his voice.

"That's highly doubtful," Kagome pointed out before she wrapped her arms around his waist to tug him closer, "I have a pretty high stamina too," she added with a wink before she brought her lips up to press a light kiss against the corner of his mouth.

(Divider)

Rin sat next to Izayoi as she helped her grandmother plant orchid flowers that she had lovely grown from within her home. The light purple petals glistened from the leftover droplets of its last drink as Rin settled it into its new home. The gardens were the perfect place for fully grown flowers to blossom, and by the way the flower seemed to dance along with the sunlight peeking in, Rin knew that it was pleased.

She smiled first at the flower before she shared it with Izayoi. They then briskly returned to their work, each tending to their own flowers, and ensuring that the other was doing alright. Rin had never had the chance to actually plant flowers in Izayoi's garden. Bad timing, she guessed, given that Izayoi was more than happy to let Rin work alongside her.

She had enjoyed their beautiful colors at Sango's shop, but never thought to ask Sesshomaru if she could start a garden in the backyard behind their house. It was a thought, and Rin smiled to herself at the idea of taking care of her own beautiful array of flowers. She would have twenty or thirty varieties, of course.

"You're doing a wonderful job," Izayoi observed as she gently traced one of the petals from the flower that Rin had planted, "they are simply glowing with happiness," she added kindly.

"Thanks," Rin grinned before she went to grab for another plant when something close to a faint wind brushed past her cheek. What caught Rin's attention was how it had brushed straight down her cheek, rather than from the left or right. She momentarily froze, her mind already picturing Kagura in the gardens. For who else could control the winds like she could?

"Rin?" Izayoi asked uncertainly, "are you alright?"

Rin remained silent as she waited for another gust of air. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her eyes widened slightly when a flash of purple whizzed past her peripheral vision. Her mind kept screaming out Kagura's name, but the color didn't seem right. It seemed far too light to be the purple from the wind demonness' kimono.

"I found you," a young voice murmured triumphantly behind her, "I have to say, it was a little harder than I had imagined it would be,"

"Rin!" the little girl turned towards Izayoi at the sound of the woman's scream, but her voice got caught in her throat when she felt hands wrap around her waist and press her up against something solid. Something was flung against her face that covered her mouth, and within seconds she felt her eyelids grow heavy as she inhaled an alien scent.

"I don't want you fighting me when I take you back to Naraku," she heard the boy say, and as she went limp in his grasp she got a glimpse of his violet eyes smiling at her before her world went black. All she could remember was hearing the sounds of Izayoi's distressed screams fading away as the feel of flight overtook her.

(Divider)

Sesshomaru's eyes shot open suddenly, his entire body on alert at the sound of his father's echoed message. _Rin has been taken_.

He quickly stood from the blanket made of his and Kagome's clothing, and reached for the discarded shirt that laid underneath him. His mate did not stir at his movements, but remained cloaked in a peaceful slumber.

A small smirk tugged at the edges of his lips, finding satisfaction in the fact that he had worn her down. Physically, sexually, and emotionally. Their connection allowed him to somewhat feel her exhaustion, as well as her bliss.

He momentarily paused while dressing to ponder whether he should wake her or not. His selfish demon side wanted to let her sleep so that he could continue to feel her bliss that was dangerously elating his ego. Another part of him also knew that he would be far stronger with her by his side than without.

As if already reading into his thoughts, Kagome rose from their makeshift bed to glance up at him with worried eyes.

"Is it true?" she murmured, almost unsurely, as if she hoped he would deny it. Already feeling her presence in his mind, he merely nodded.

"If you are too tired – "

"I'll never be too tired," Kagome hurriedly interrupted, and smiled slightly when she noted the direction his mind had immediately gone at her declaration, "to save Rin," she clarified with a slight laugh before she stood to pick up her clothing that was scattered around them.

Sesshomaru quickly followed her lead as the couple dressed. He noted Kagome's wry grin a moment later, and looked around his shoulder to spot a bright green grass stain against the bright white back of his kimono. He merely ignored it as he finished dressing.

"Should we get Kikyo?" Kagome asked as she pulled her shirt over her head and tugged her arms through the sleeves.

"We'll have to," Sesshomaru replied with a slight clenching of his jaw, "it seems my father wants to meet with all of us as soon as we can get to his castle,"

"It'll be good to have more than two heads thinking of ways to figure out possible locations of where Rin could have been taken," Kagome answered, trying to appease his racing mind. He remained silent, finding the fact that Rin was kidnapped while under his father's watch greatly upsetting.

"We'll find her," Kagome assured him, reading into his thoughts once again, "I'm sure Naraku was the one who planned it, and he'll use her as bait until we come to get her. He won't kill her,"

"We must leave now," Sesshomaru answered bluntly, "there is no more time to waste,"

Kagome nodded in agreement before he wrapped an arm around her waist and transported them back to Kikyo's home. He only hoped that the priestess was quick to rise to the aid of a child that she did not know.

(Divider)

_A/N: So, a pretty short chapter, but I wanted to keep you guys interested! Again, I'm really sorry that this update took so long! I had lost my inspiration for it for a long time, but now it's slowly coming back! =D Expect more updates soon! _


	34. The plan is hatched

A/N: I'm sorry I took this long to update, especially after promising for one so soon after the last chapter! Hopefully the content in this one will make up for it! ^-^ Enjoy!

(Divider)

Rin let out a ragged breath as she was suddenly thrown to the ground. Her eyes had been covered ever since arriving to her prison, and all that she had for light were dimly lit candles hanging on the walls. Her dark eyes widened in fear as her kidnapper roughly grabbed her hair, and painfully held her up so that her face was visible to him in the candle light.

"I bet you think you're going to survive this," the boy seethed with a small smile, his breath warm against her face "you think that you're precious Sesshomaru-sama will come to save you,"

The honorific name immediately clicked in Rin's brain, but she didn't understand why it sounded so familiar to her. She had never referenced her father in such a way before, so why did it sound so right? She stared back at him through squinted eyes, the candle light bright against her face in comparison to the surrounding darkness.

"He will come for me," Rin answered in an alien voice. Her mind was reeling in confusion at the sound of her own certainty. Sesshomaru had promised to protect her, yes, but never had she felt so sure of that fact.

She heard the boy grunt dismissively before she was suddenly dropped to the ground. She let out a sharp breath when all of her weight landed on her left arm. She hadn't realized how high he had held her, but she had toppled to the ground like they had been five or ten feet in the air.

She cradled the limb as she moved to lay on her back, thankful that she could at least move it without much discomfort. She heard the soft footfall of the boy's shoes as he lowered himself to the ground as well.

His boot heels echoed with soft clicks against the stoney ground as he walked towards her. Rin turned her head away from him, struggling to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. He roughly grabbed her good arm to lift her, and forced her to her feet.

"By the time I'm done with you, there'll be nothing left for Sesshomaru to save," the boy promised menacingly against her ear. Rin let out a terrified gasp as her eyes widened at his words. The tears that she had tried so hard to hide suddenly started to flow silently down her cheeks, and she trembled in fear against him. She saw the faint outline of his face as he looked down at her, shaken for a moment at the show of such raw emotion, before it quickly morphed into rage.

"Stop crying!" he commanded angrily, "I haven't even started torturing you yet!"

"He'll come for me, you'll see," Rin promised him softly while hiding her eyes with her bangs, only able to repeat her words and nothing more as her body continued to tremble.

"We'll see if you still feel that way in a couple of days," the boy snarled back before he let go of her arm. Rin stumbled back at suddenly being thrown back into control of her own body once more, and held her footing as she tried to study the boy's face through the darkness.

She remembered violet eyes and light purple clothing, but besides those two features Rin had no idea what her capture looked like. She noted his body tense when he noticed her staring, but he did not reach for her again.

"What's your name?" Rin asked, wondering if this was the Naraku guy she had overheard her father and Kagome talking about.

"My name isn't important to you," he huffed before he turned and began walking away from her.

"Wait!" Rin suddenly screamed before she looked at the ground uncertainly when he turned to look back at her, "please don't leave me alone here. I hate being alone," she added meekly. Having anyone's company, even his, was better than none at all.

"I'm not leaving," he assured her with a slight scowl, "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you until Sesshomaru gets here," he added before she saw him slump down onto the ground in a cross legged position. The candle light shined against his white hair as she saw the vague outline of his small nose and the right cheek of his pale face.

"Are you Naraku?" Rin suddenly asked, finding the suspense too much to bear. He glanced up at her and she saw his light violet eyes glimmer in the candlelight before something akin to a smile spread across his face.

"No, I'm not Naraku," he replied as he briefly shut his eyes and turned his head away. Rin let out a sigh of relief before she settled down as well. She noted his eyes flutter open again at the gentle "plop" her body made when she joined him on the ground.

"I was worried that you were him," Rin revealed with a bashful smile as she gently cradled her injured arm against her chest, "because Sesshomaru talks about him a lot, and about how powerful he is. I wouldn't stand a chance against a guy like that," she added absentmindedly. The boy's eyebrows furrowed forward slightly as he stared at her.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against me either," he answered defensively. Rin glanced back at him in surprise before she nodded her head confidently at that.

"Oh, of course not! You look really powerful too," Rin stated, and noted with a smile how proud the boy looked at her praise before a sneer suddenly darkened his features.

"Wait, I know what you're trying to do," he claimed furiously, "you're trying to butter me up so I'll let you go, but I see through your little game. You aren't getting out of here, no matter how many times you try to persuade me otherwise," he seethed with narrowed eyes.

"That's not what I meant at all!" Rin exclaimed in disbelief before she lowered her eyes and glanced down at her hands, "it's just...I like talking to people, and when they like talking to me. I thought that if I said something nice to you, you'd talk to me more,"

"Why would you want to talk to me? You should hate me. I took you away from your father, your home, from everything you loved," the boy pointed out sharply as Rin nodded her head solemnly.

"That's true, but that doesn't mean I _won't_ talk to you. You're the only one here, and I hate being alone or silent for a long time," Rin answered softly before tears burned at the edges of her eyes, "I don't want to relive that time in my life when I was alone and mute. There can't be anything worse than that,"

"Hn," the boy grunted back, disinterested. Rin wasn't fazed by his response, but looked away from his half shadowed form as she ran her fingers along the stony ground of her cell.

"How long will I be kept here?" Rin asked while keeping her eyes trained on her fingers.

"Until Sesshomaru comes," the boy responded levelly.

"Will you stay here too?" Rin asked, "until Sesshomaru comes?"

"Yes. I have no other choice,"

"I'm glad," Rin murmured with a smile, before a look of horror overtook her features suddenly, " – not that you have to stay here against your will! I'm just glad that I'll have some company while I wait for my father,"

"I won't be much company," the boy answered, "it's not like I talk much,"

"That's alright," Rin smiled as she stared back at the shadowy figure, "my father doesn't talk very much either, but just his presence alone makes me feel safer than I do when I'm alone,"

"Why are you telling me all of this?" the boy asked suddenly with a light growl, "do you think you can make me feel sorry for you or something?"

"No," Rin murmured, "but I feel like if I share some of my life with you, you'll share some of your life with me,"

"My life isn't any of your business," the boy replied sharply before Rin saw the movement of his head turn away from her in the darkness. Her dark brown pools misted over with sadness at his sudden retreat into himself, and all she could do was look gloomily at the ground in silence.

Still, Rin couldn't deny that she was grateful that he hadn't left her alone.

(Divider)

Kagome let out a sharp breath when they made it back to Kikyo's home, and Sesshomaru set her back down on her own two feet. Sesshomaru hadn't been kidding when he had warned her of possibly being unable to walk after he was "finished" with her. A quirky smile spread across her lips at the thought, because she knew the soar throbbing she felt all over her body was well worth it.

She raised an interested brow when she noted the slight quirk of her mate's lips as he read into her thoughts. A blatant and smug looking "I told you so" expression was plastered on his face, which Kagome answered back with a flirty wink.

She then awkwardly took a few steps forward to gain her footing after flying before she hurried into the house. It was as dark as it had been when she had left earlier that evening, but she was surprised to find Kikyo sitting in the kitchen. She was drinking tea by candlelight, and seemed to be expecting them.

"You've returned," she observed levelly as Kagome joined her cousin in the kitchen. Kagome couldn't hide her blush as she nodded. Her face grew even redder when Sesshomaru came up behind her, and she saw the rather knowing smile Kikyo sent him in response.

"I'm glad things have settled down," she murmured before taking another sip of her tea, "I expect you to be fully focused during tomorrow's training," she added while keeping her eyes trained on the far side of the room.

"We won't have time to train tomorrow," Kagome informed her while she tried to find her bearings and act mature around the woman who knew exactly what had occurred between her and Sesshomaru only a few minutes before, "Rin has been taken by Naraku. We have to find him, and get Rin back,"

Kikyo's eyes widened slightly before she turned her head to glance back at Kagome in alarm.

"Are you sure?" she asked back urgently, and when Kagome nodded she reluctantly continued, "I didn't think Naraku would have started things so quickly. I assumed we would have had more time to train,"

"So did I," Sesshomaru replied, his chin hovering over Kagome's head. Kikyo nodded in agreement before she placed her tea cup delicately on the kitchen table and stood.

"I suppose it can't be helped," she added solemnly before she shut her eyes briefly, "I have an idea where Naraku's lair is, but I don't have any concrete evidence to back it up,"

"Come with us to InuTashio's," Kagome offered suddenly, "he wants us all there so we can figure out what to do next. If we find Rin, we are sure to find Inuyasha too,"

Kikyo remained silent at the mention of the half demon, but Kagome noted the turmoil that seemed to storm in her cousin's dark eyes.

"If Naraku housed them in the same area," Kikyo clarified icily before her eyes softened slightly, "I suppose since I have no other leads to Inuyasha's location, then it only makes sense for me to come with you. Perhaps Naraku won't think to separate them,"

"That's great! Should we call for AhUn?" Kagome asked Sesshomaru before she went quiet when she spotted a rather odd necklace pendant Kikyo tugged out from beneath her dress shirt.

"Such transportation won't be needed," Kikyo stated as she sent a confident smirk Kagome's way, "this will get us to InuTashio's in no time," she added as she pressed the edges of the darkly colored gem. Kagome let out a squeak of surprise when a vortex similar to AhUn's appeared behind her cousin.

"A traveling vortex?" Sesshomaru questioned, and seemed slightly surprised by it as well.

"A gift, from your step-mother," she informed them, "it will take us to their home without needing to surpass their protective barrier," she added before she turned around to face it. The collection of colors in the vortex swirled in a clockwise fashion as it remained diligently open.

"Are you coming?" Kikyo asked a moment later when neither of them came forward. Kagome let out nervous sound at that before she hurried to her cousin's side and noted Sesshomaru's mute arrival behind her.

Kagome found her mate's almost submissive behavior rather odd. She hadn't thought Sesshomaru was one to follow, but one to lead instead. She hadn't thought much about it before, but wondered what had brought on his rather withheld change of attitude.

"Do you enjoy it, mate?" she heard him whisper suddenly against her right ear, and she shivered. She still needed to get used to the rather strange sensation she felt whenever her mate was especially close to her. It was a pleasurable feeling to say the least, but jarring nonetheless.

"Enjoy what?" Kagome asked back as a hot blush coated her cheeks when she felt one of his hands grab for her waist while the other gently gripped her wrist. She fell slightly against his taller form before his embrace held her still.

"My submission," he added levelly, his expression giving nothing away to what he was thinking. He had even shut off his mind to her. Now that just wasn't playing fair. He probably enjoyed how off putting it was for her not to be able to tell what he was thinking behind his stoic mask. When her blush darkened even further, Sesshomaru seemed to take that as cue to continue.

"Does it bring you pleasure to think of yourself as my alpha? Would you punish me, mate, if I were to be _disobedient_?" he pressed just as icily as before, and all Kagome could do was stare at him in horror at the rather obvious dirty undertones there were in his words.

"This isn't the time or place for that kind of talk!" she practically shrieked before she sent her cousin a worried glance. Kikyo had been watching them impassively during the entire exchange, and when she spotted Kagome's nervous expression she stared back at her for a moment before she let out a soft laugh.

Kagome stiffened at her cousin's laugh, and relaxed when it ended a second later.

"See you two on the other side," Kikyo stated as she gave Sesshomaru a wink, "Take your time, but know that the portal won't stay open forever," she added before she made her way inside the vortex. Kagome watched her cousin go with mouth a gap before she was suddenly brought up against her mate's chest and blinked in surprise when she felt the possessive capture of her lips by his.

She felt his passion leak through his mind's barrier, and found it hard to reject him but they didn't have time to fool around again. They had to find Rin.

Kagome felt Sesshomaru stiffen against her at the mention of his little girl, and noted his sudden lack of desire with a heavy heart. He broke the kiss before he turned away from her to head towards the vortex. Not wishing to leave the house on a sour note, Kagome quickly grabbed the collar of her mate's shirt before she brought his head down so that her lips could reach his.

She held him there as she kissed him passionately back. She wanted him to know that she wasn't rejecting him altogether. When he remained unresponsive, she drew her tongue along his bottom lip. She felt his lips tug back slightly in the form of a small smile before she felt his tongue join hers.

His hand came up to gently cup her cheek while she held onto the collar of his shirt tightly.

When their kiss ended Kagome smiled up at him, and noted that they had maneuvered themselves in front of the vortex. She returned her gaze to him before she rose an eyebrow suggestively.

"I thought about what you asked earlier," she began in a whisper as she brought her lips close to his again as her hand came up to rest against his chest, "and yes, I do enjoy being your alpha," she added with another smile as she pushed lightly against his chest. He shuffled back at her shove with a playful smirk before he disappeared altogether into the vortex. Kagome giggled slightly before she walked into it after him with a cocky grin.

(Divider)

Kagome found herself in Inutashio's home within seconds, and blinked in surprise at the sudden change of scenery. Wooden walls and modest artwork were switched with stone and silk tapestries as Kagome glanced around at the familiar sight.

"Kagome!" she heard InuTashio call out to her as Kagome turned just in time to spot the dog demon making his way towards her.

"InuTashio," she greeted with a smile as the demon nodded to her in return before he ushered her to his side.

"It's good to see you, although I wish it would have been under better circumstances," he replied with a slight grimace. Kagome smiled sympathetically before she nodded back. They walked down the long corridor in silence before they entered the large room at the end of the hall.

Izayoi was there with Sesshomaru, and Kagome felt her chest tighten at the sight of the beautiful woman's tears. She was looking up at Sesshomaru pleadingly before she patted her eyes with her kimono sleeve.

"Please, Sesshomaru," Kagome heard her murmur sadly, "you must understand! I was taken off guard. I hadn't even sensed his presence past my barrier! If I had..."

"If you had, Rin would still be in your care," Kagome heard her mate seethe quietly, and her eyes widened at how icy and unforgiving his tone sounded. Izayoi let out a soft sob before she slowly nodded her head.

"Yes, she would be," the woman agreed solemnly before she stared at the dog demon head on, "I will try my hardest to get her back," she promised passionately, but Kagome noted Sesshomaru's disinterested stare as a slight sneer tugged at the bottom of his lips.

"You will refrain from doing anything further. You have done enough," he commanded darkly before he paused when InuTashio let out a warning growl. Kagome glanced at the largely framed dog demon beside her in surprise at the sound of his aggressive threat, and noted that his pupils had thinned to slits as he glared at his son.

"_You_ will refrain from doing anything futher," InuTashio answered as he moved from Kagome's side to approach his son, "Can you not see how your mother suffers? You were not the only one who favored Rin," he reminded Sesshomaru as he stood taller and used his broader frame to try and intimidate him into submission.

"She is not my – "

"Enough," InuTashio growled as his eyes glowed red for a moment before they reverted back to their golden hue, "fighting with Izayoi will not bring Rin back any faster. She is offering to help search for her, so be grateful,"

Sesshomaru glanced at his father with a frown, but he remained silent when InuTashio growled once more. Observing his son's submission, the older demon calmed down before glancing back at his mate.

"Darling, tell Kagome about the boy that took Rin," InuTashio ushered his mate gently. Izayoi glanced at Sesshomaru worriedly before she nodded and locked eyes with Kagome.

"He was rather young, possibly a few years older than Rin, with white hair and light purple eyes. He was also wearing a violet colored kimono that looked like it came from the Feudal Era," Izayoi described before Kagome's eyes widened slightly.

She wasn't positive, but she pictured the boy that had traveled into her mind and planted the kimono sleeve on her broken window. Could that boy be the same one that Izayoi saw take Rin?

"Show her," Sesshomaru commanded suddenly, and everyone turned to him in surprise before he inclined his head towards Izayoi, "one of the powers that my father has given to his mate is the ability to see into the mind of anyone she touches. Show her the boy you thought of just now," he explained.

Kagome blinked before she nodded and approached Izayoi. The woman gave her an apprehensive smile before she gingerly placed her fingers against Kagome's forehead. Kagome shut her eyes briefly as she pictured the boy once again, and was amazed at how vivid her memory of him was. It was as if she had actually seen him in person, rather than in a vision.

"That's him," Izayoi confirmed before she withdrew her hand, "but what was he doing in your mind?" she added in question.

"He was trying to send me a message. A clue, really," Kagome replied, "he wanted us to find a piece of his clothing to use as a tracking device to get to Naraku. He knew about all of us, and how we'd have no problem hunting him down by scent alone,"

"Is he a possible ally?" InuTashio questioned. Kagome shook her head in response.

"He's working for Naraku, and took Rin. As far as I'm concerned, he's made himself an enemy to all of us," Kikyo stated firmly, and Kagome jumped slightly before she gazed past Izayoi to spot her cousin appear from the shadows of the far corner of the room. Kagome hadn't even noticed her when she had walked in earlier.

"What do you suggest, Kikyo?" InuTashio asked as he allowed the miko room to join in the circle that had formed in the middle of the room.

"We go after Naraku, now, before it's too late," Kikyo replied with the slight thinning of her lips. Kagome could only nod back, agreeing with her that just waiting around wouldn't solve anything.

"Do we have a plan of attack?" Izayoi asked as she gazed between the two mikos.

"Nothing as of yet," Kikyo admitted with a slight blush before her expression cleared and she narrowed her eyes determinately, "but with all of us, Naraku won't stand a chance against our power," she added surely.

"I might have an idea," someone stated happily from behind the group before Kagome glanced around just in time to spot her clone approaching the group. Her mouth fell open as she took in the strange woman that looked identical to her.

The Kagome look-alike grinned back at her knowingly before her shape quickly disappeared behind a cloud of smoke, only to be replaced by a tall red headed young man with twinkling green eyes.

"Shippo!" Kagome cried out in surprise as she rushed over to embrace the kitsune. He returned her embrace wholeheartedly before he held her at arms length.

"I've gotten better, huh?" he asked with a smile as Kagome nodded. She hadn't even spotted Shippo's telltale fluff ball of a tail on his transformation. It had really been spot on.

"Sango told me that Kohaku blamed himself for Rin's disappearance, even after Jaken said she was supposed to be on vacation," Shippo stated as he gazed back at the rest of the group, "so, I came here to see if everything was alright,"

"But how did you know about this place?" Kagome asked in surprise as the kitsune grinned at her.

"You don't think I lived all alone for five hundred years, did you mother?" he asked back with a wink. Kagome blinked in surprise before she turned to look back at the group. InuTashio gave the kitsune a small smile while Sesshomaru gazed at him in an almost fatherly way.

"I went to Sesshomaru's castle ten years after he took Rin from the village, in hopes to win her heart and Sesshomaru's blessing," Shippo began, "but when I arrived he had told me about not only her death, but yours as well. It was a rough time for me, and I grieved for years over it,"

"I'm sorry," Kagome murmured sadly as she gently cupped her adoptive son's cheek affectionately. The kitsune smiled sadly at her before he turned into her embrace for a moment and continued,

"Sesshomaru took me in soon after that. Instead of letting me mourn away my adolescent years, he enlisted me into his Western army, and personally trained me. It helped numb the pain until I was able to accept the loss. He's been watching over me ever since, albeit rather laxly," he added while sticking his tongue out teasingly at the dog demon.

Kagome gazed back at her mate thankfully, and sent her gratitude to him in the form of her thoughts. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement while a vague smile tugged at the ends of his lips.

"But you must listen," Shippo added firmly as Kagome returned her chocolate eyes to his green gaze, "my plan of attack is this: we split up and take down Naraku from all sides. We should split up the most powerful so that one side won't be weaker than another. Naturally, this means you and Sesshomaru shouldn't travel together," Shippo explained. Kagome's eyes widened at his words before she hurriedly shook her head.

"But Shippo – "

"Please, Kagome, just listen," Shippo urged, and when the miko shut her mouth he continued, "Naraku will be expecting you two to be together, given that demon mates are more powerful the closer they are to one another. If you strike from a different angle, he won't be expecting it. But, to keep him out of the loop for as long as possible, I can transform into you and travel at Sesshomaru's side while we try to get into the building from the front,"

"No! Shippo, that will be too dangerous!" Kagome stressed worriedly as the kitsune laughed lightly.

"I thought you might say something like that. But think about it, if you, Kikyo, and I all strike from different angles, Naraku and whomever he has stationed to protect him won't know which is Sesshomaru's real mate until it's too late," he insisted.

"But they'll be after you if you stick with Sesshomaru. What if you take another side – "

"I've become a lot stronger than I was when you knew me," Shippo assured her, "not only that, but I can take a hit or two. I should know, being subjected to Sesshomaru's blows whenever we'd train together. Kikyo mentioned how you have been training with him a little as well. You may have had a week, but imagine how much stronger you'd be with five hundred years of training like that?"

"Shippo...I still don't like it," Kagome answered unsurely as the kitsune gave her a grim smile before he took her into a fierce hug.

"I know, but it's better than losing you should Naraku put all of his forces in the front. At least I'm a full demon, I can take a few more hits. If anything, we can weaken Naraku's forces for you,"

"But at what price? I don't want to lose you," Kagome murmured back as the kitsune pulled away to look at her in the eye.

"You won't," he assured her with a smile. Kagome smiled weakly in return before she sighed.

"If you really feel this strongly, then I guess – "

"Yes! You won't regret it Kagome, I swear! You'll see just how strong I really am!" Shippo exclaimed excitedly as Kagome laughed in return.

"If you two are both done, could we hurry this up? We don't know how much time Naraku is going to give us before he does something to Rin or Inuyasha," Kikyo pressed as Shippo and Kagome quieted at her solemn words.

"Of course," Shippo replied as he cleared his throat, "to further add to the confusion, I think we all, and by all I mean Kikyo, Kagome, and myself, should wear cloaks to partially hide our faces. Izayoi, you have some that you knitted for Kikyo and Kagome's honeymoons, right?" he asked as Izayoi nodded happily before she hurried off to retrieve them.

"Honeymoons?" Kagome parroted back in surprise. Shippo sucked in a breath before he let out a nervous laugh.

"Um – What I meant by that is...well, there were plans to travel up North for a rather _cold_ and – "

"We'll discuss this later," Sesshomaru interrupted Shippo with a heavy sigh as he gazed at Kagome, and she rose a brow at him but he refused to reveal any more on the subject. A second later Izayoi returned with twin black cloaks stitched with long sleeves.

Izayoi handed each woman the thick fabric, and when Kagome was handed hers she slipped it on with ease. It felt good against her skin, and it was surprisingly warm. It tied just above her collar bone as the sleeves hung loosely against her arms and a hood rested against her back.

Kikyo also put on hers before she tugged the hood over her head. Kagome gazed at her in surprise, for when the hood hid her cousin's eyes, the rest of her face that was visible matched Kagome's perfectly. Kagome pulled her hood over her head as well before she glanced back at Shippo when he tapped on her shoulder.

She watched him curiously as he surveyed her form for a moment before his body was suddenly surrounded by smoke. He was gone for but a moment, for in the next her clone had reappeared with the cloak over her form as well.

Utterly surprised at how well Shippo's transformation skills had become, Kagome pushed her hood away from her eyes as she gazed back at him. He pulled the hood from over his eyes to show her how well he had encompassed her every feature.

"Pretty good, right?" he asked, and Kagome gaped when she noted that he had been able to copy her voice as well. Had she not been in the same room, Kagome was sure Shippo could have fooled anyone with his disguise.

"It's amazing," Kagome breathed as she gazed at him, and couldn't help but feel like she were staring into a mirror. It was uncanny how well he had copied her, and when he placed his hands on his hips and looked back at her Kagome let out a laugh. He had gotten her mannerisms down too!

"Naraku won't suspect a thing when he sees me like this," Shippo told her happily, "the only real problem my copy will have is when I have to shoot arrows. While I can certainly fake it, I can't conjure up real purifying power,"

"It won't matter," Sesshomaru stated suddenly as he and the kitsune shared a glance, "we only need to get into the building. I'll protect you as best I can, so you won't need to shoot an arrow. When we find Naraku we'll all be together, and Kagome or Kikyo can take over for you,"

"Thank you for your support, Sesshomaru-sama," Shippo offered happily before he let out a cute giggle with Kagome's voice. Kagome blushed at Shippo's teasing in her form before it cleared when Shippo turned towards her again.

"We'll need to go now, and split up as soon as we reach Naraku's hide out," Shippo commanded as Kagome nodded before she glanced at Sesshomaru and the others.

"We'll be behind you," InuTashio assured her with a slight smile as Izayoi nodded in agreement, "we'll most likely stick with Sesshomaru. I agree that Naraku might stage the grunt of his protection by the front door, while he might not think to protect all sides from us,"

"Let's go," Kikyo urged as she glanced back at Sesshomaru and Kagome, "I've given InuTashio and Izayoi the location, they can conjure up a vortex that will transport us to that location. I only hope that my assumptions of his lair are correct,"

"Right," Kagome agreed, but paused when Kikyo slowly approached her and placed a hand atop her shoulder.

"Stay strong, cousin," she ordered firmly, and Kagome gazed at her in surprise before it hardened and she nodded determinately in return. Kikyo smiled slightly before she turned to grab for a bow and a quiver filled with arrows set atop the table nearest to her.

"These are the arrows that we've been practicing with while training here," Kikyo told her as Kagome nodded and took the weapon. Kikyo grabbed an identical one before she glanced at Shippo, but the kistune was already way ahead of her.

A bow and quiver suddenly appeared on his person that perfectly matched theirs. With a smile he slung the quiver over his shoulder and held the bow tightly in his right hand.

"I believe we're ready," InuTashio murmured before he glanced at his mate, "shall we?" he added as Izayoi smiled and nodded. With a quick wave of her hand a vortex appeared before the dog demon and his mate.

"We'll be waiting for you on the other side," he told the rest of the group before he hooked his arm around his mate's waist and escorted her through. Kikyo soon followed, as silent as ever, before Shippo walked in after her.

Kagome and Sesshomaru exchanged glances for a moment before the dog demon approached her.

"If this is too much – "

"Silence," she ordered softly, and smiled when she noted her mate's rather perturbed expression at her use of one of _his_ lines, "if this were too much for me, I would have left long ago. Rin means too much to all of us to back out now, even if I wanted to – which I _don't_. I'm just glad that we're together in this," she explained before she gazed up at him admirably.

His eyes softened ever so slightly at her words before they hardened as he turned to gaze at the vortex. Kagome followed his gaze before she closed the distance between them and gently took hold of his larger hand. She squeezed it affectionately, and smiled when he returned the gesture.

Without wasting another moment, the couple entered the vortex, intent on coming face-to-face with Naraku.

(Divider)

A/N: So, another cliffy for you all! ^^ While I hate them myself, I do enjoy when I end on one =P As you can probably tell, this story is winding down (tear). There will probably be just two or three more chapters left before it's over! Look for updates soon! Until next time!

P.S. So, Hakudoshi's appearance has perplexed me as of late. I think I wrote him as having purple hair when he appeared in Kagome's vision, but white in this chapter. I personally think it looked like a very light violet in the anime, but he's described as having white hair and even his name means "white child." Can anyone shed some light on which one it is? It would be much appreciated! ^-^


	35. Hakudoshi opens up

A/N: As always, thanks so much to all of you for being so patient with me! I know my updates aren't popping out like they should be, but I am working on them as fast as I can! Enjoy this next installment!

* * *

Inuyasha awoke in a daze as he struggled to focus his gaze on anything around him. His vision was blurred and his throat felt incredibly dry. He didn't know where he was, or what had happened past his meeting with Naraku. His eyes widened slightly at the name as he forced himself into an upright sitting position.

Naraku had to have been the one who had knocked him out, and took him to...wherever he was at the moment. He scowled slightly as he jeered at his own stupidity. Kikyo had been right to warn him about Naraku. If only he had listened.

"So stupid," he growled in anger before he mentally shook himself out of his own pity party. He had to find a way out. There was no telling what Naraku would do next. His chest tightened painfully at the thought that Naraku could have already gone after Kikyo or Kagome in his absence.

"Stupid, stupid," he chanted as he smacked his forehead with his open palm a couple of times in rage. Of course he'd do something like this, and leave those he cared about unprotected. When he had had his fill of face palms, Inuyasha stood and glanced around at what seemed to be the walls of a cave.

There were no lights to make certain of it, but Inuyasha's vision was fair enough in the dark that he could make out the outlines of the cavern rocks. He sniffed the air, but couldn't catch any type of familiar scent besides the murky smell of the dirt beneath his feet.

He frowned slightly when he realized that he wasn't at the end of whatever cave he was housed in. It seemed Naraku hadn't seen it fit to put him there, and dropped him off in the middle of one of its tunnels instead.

Cursing the very name of the demon who had trapped him there, Inuyasha got up and began walking forward. He only hoped that it was in the right direction.

* * *

"You sleep funny," Hakodoshi remarked with a slight sneer as Rin blinked awake before she turned to spot her capture looming over her. She jolted in surprise before she sat up and gazed up at him in astonishment. His eyes widened slightly at her brash movements before he raised a brow at her when she settled down.

"I sleep...funny?" Rin parroted back in question as Hakudoshi huffed slightly in reply,

"You curl your body around like you're holding something circular, but you don't have anything. And you snore,"

Rin's face heated at his description before she glanced away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. It's how I sleep, I guess," Rin murmured meekly in response, "how do you sleep?" she asked curiously as Hakudoshi scoffed at her lightly before he replied.

"I don't," he simply answered. Rin cocked her head to the side at his response before she let out a giggle. Hakusohi's eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at her.

"What's so funny?" he snarled as Rin covered her mouth in an attempt to silence her laughter long enough to speak.

"Everyone has to sleep, silly! Even my father sleeps, and he's a full demon!" Rin responded with a grin before she inched closer to the boy, "I bet you sleep _really_ funny, that's why you don't want to tell me!" she insisted with a knowing smirk.

Hakudoshi stared at her in astonishment before his expression darkened.

"I already told you – " he began heatedly as he glared at her.

"Pretend sleep right now!" Rin commanded with gusto, and smiled when Hakudoshi merely raised a questioning brow at her, "pretend to sleep so I can see how you do it," she explained.

"Are you deaf or something? I've already told you that I _don't_ sleep," Hakudoshi seethed before he turned his head away from her again, " now leave me alone before I decide to go against Naraku's wishes and kill you myself, you annoying little girl,"

Rin held back her playful retort at his harsh words as she stared at him in shock before she lowered her gaze and turned her back on him. She knew when she had gone too far, and it was obvious that Hakudoshi wasn't charmed by her banter like she had been by his.

While Rin did feel safer than she had when Hakudoshi had first brought her there, the threat he boasted hadn't completely disappeared either. Rin wasn't sure if he really would kill her like he said, or if he was simply all talk.

Rin sat with her back to Hakudoshi for what seemed like hours, but she knew were realistically only minutes. The sound of his boots skidding along the rocky ground caught Rin's attention as she glanced over her shoulder to spot Hakudoshi on his feet.

"What is it, Haku – "

"Quiet," Hakudoshi seethed before he spared her a quick sideways glance. Rin obediently shut her mouth at the command in his voice, as well as from her own fear of him. She gazed up at him worriedly when they locked eyes, finding his tense form hardly comforting. He already seemed far more powerful than she was, so for something to put him on edge made Rin feel all the more vulnerable and frightened of its source.

Hakudoshi gazed around the entryway that seemed to continue on for forever before he stiffened slightly. Rin glanced from his body to the entry in front of him and back fearfully, only to let out a gasp when she felt Hakudoshi wrap his arms around her middle and hoist her up off the ground.

"W – Where are we going?" Rin asked in surprise as Hakodoshi hurried down the cave's tunnel at lightening speed. Rin watched as the candles on the wall whizzed past them until they all seemed to create a continuous orange stream of light. Rin soon found herself getting dizzy, and shut her eyes to relieve the unnerving feeling.

"Away," he told her, "he woke up too soon," Rin heard him mutter angrily to himself as he continued to flee with her in tow.

* * *

Inuyasha felt his body grow surprisingly weak as he continued further down the cave's tunnel. He hadn't even picked up speed yet, but he felt like his legs were weighing him down to a point that it hurt to simply lift them.

His breathing patterns had changed as well, and he struggled to keep it regular as he rested his hand against the nearest wall. His shoulders heaved as he forced his lungs to expand and contrast within his chest as he gazed out at what seemed to be an endless walkway within the cave.

His body shook suddenly when he took another deep breath, and his eyes widened before he hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand. The auras around him, how hadn't he noticed them before? The cave was practically oozing out demonic auras like they were the air itself.

He growled angrily to himself as he fought to keep his composure. His father had warned him about this, and he cursed the fact that he didn't have Tetsusaiga around to control his demonic blood. While he had been able to transform partially with ease, he felt different this time. His transformation felt forced rather than willful as he tried to push the beast back with little success.

Inuyasha felt his body contort painfully as he hissed when his vision went red. His claws extended and tore at the flesh there as he angrily ground his rapidly growing fangs together. The auras around him seemed to swirl and mix with his own as he cracked his knuckles and fell to his knees with a soft groan.

His silvery hair shined from beneath his human disguise as his bangs fell over his eyes and he trembled. The transformation was going painfully slow, and Inuyasha cursed again when he felt his own aura rise. His vision began to blur again as Inuyasha struggled to remember who he was.

A alien sound emitted from his throat, and Inuyasha shuddered as his claws dug into the ground and he worked his jaw to accommodate his rapidly extending fangs until they locked in place. Then everything went quiet.

Inuyasha sat perfectly still while hunched over the ground as he listened, almost painfully, for any kind of sound. When nothing came to the silvery perked ears atop his head, he sniffed the air. His strengthened state gave him the luxury of detecting the smells of the outside world not far from his location, but something better caught his attention. The smell of human flesh.

His head shot up at the scent before he slowly turned his head around in the direction it was coming from. It seemed he had been going in the wrong direction, the human was back that way. His lips quirked up in a satanic smile at the thought of tasting that flesh, and how it would feel torn and mangled between his teeth.

He craved the blood as well. The thought sent a pleasurable shiver through him. He had been kept away from his true nature for far too long, and now he needed to sate the beast within if he hoped to change back.

He could already feel his control slipping as his body rose and he made his way back further inside the cave. His hunger drove him to quicken his pace from a fast walk into an all out run. The auras around him seemed to push him forward, instead of fight him like they had been before.

He soon found himself back where he had started, but the smell led him down another pathway as he hurriedly followed the promising scent.

His fangs clenched together in excitement as he drew closer, until he was able to distinguish the scent. He slowed his pace until he made a complete stop a few meters away from the source. His eyes reverted back to their golden hue as he backed up slowly in horror.

It wasn't just any human's scent enticing his beast's blood lust, it was Rin's. What she was doing here, he didn't have the faintest idea, but knew that Naraku had to be behind it somehow.

He forced his body to remain stationary as he balled his hands into fists until his claws drew blood. He sensed a demon near Rin as well, and noted his movements as he glanced at Inuyasha from the darkness. He was too far to make out the face on the demon, but sensed his aura instead.

A low growl emitted from his throat when he recognized Naraku's aura within the demon, but he refused to charge him. Should he completely lose himself in the fight, he could possibly harm Rin in the process. He had nearly gone and torn the girl to shreds a moment before, proof of his own inability to distinguish friend from food.

His eyes widened slightly as he spotted the demon suddenly turn and grab Rin before he carried her off. Anger and hunger drove him suddenly as his eyes reverted back to red as he gave chase. He had to save Rin! He only hoped that he could contain himself long enough to ensure her safety when he did reach them.

Before he had time to test his theory, clouds of miasma appeared before him and he jumped out of the way with a surprised hiss. He landed a few feet away from the mysterious object before he growled when Naraku's aura was made apparent.

"You have quite the control, Inuyasha," Naraku's voice remarked as the shadows of miasma solidified into a man, "I wonder just how far that control goes. Shall we test it?" he added with a smirk before Inuyasha was suddenly consumed by miasma, and his world quickly went black.

* * *

Kagome and the rest of the group appeared outside of what looked like a regular storage facility surrounded by trees. To Kagome's surprise, they seemed to be alone on all sides. Naraku had definitely gotten seclusion when he had chosen this place as his hideout.

"How did you find this place?" she couldn't help but ask her cousin. Kikyo smiled slightly before she shook her head.

"I didn't," she answered, "It found me. This place isn't far from my property, and on one of my long walks I happened upon this place. I hadn't thought anything of it until I noticed a couple of Naraku's insects flying into some of the vents. I came a couple of times after that, and almost always spotted them making their way inside," she added as she pointed towards said vents at the very tops of the building itself.

"That isn't all, either," Kikyo continued as she walked forward and signaled the group to follow, "Naraku has a barrier around the place. It hides his lair's true appearance from onlookers. If we walk a few more paces closer, it should react to our purified energies," she stated before she paused and raised her hand lightly.

A spark went off at her touch, along with the sight of a pink barrier that appeared around the area Kikyo's hand had been. Kagome blinked in surprise before she came forward and placed her hand where Kikyo's had been and let out a surprised squeak when it sparked for her as well. Quickly retrieving her hand, Kagome cradled it against her chest.

"If we work at it, we may all be able to break it," Kikyo informed them, "of course, that's only a theory," she added solemnly.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kagome replied as she quickly retrieved an arrow and quickly loaded her bow. She drew it taut against her bow string before she glanced at her cousin expectedly. Kikyo quickly followed suit as the demons behind them readied their weapons as well.

Kagome glanced back to spot Sesshomaru unsheathe a sword that she recognized as Bakusaiga. InuTashio had also brought Tetsusaiga, and unsheathed it before it transformed into its true size. How she knew all that, Kagome could only guess the information was from more of her repressed memories coming to the surface.

"Relax," Kagome heard InuTashio instruct as he came forward and they lowered their bows. Kagome watched in surprise as the blade suddenly shined a hellish red before InuTashio sliced the blade where the barrier had once been.

A tearing sound resounded in the clearing before a portion of the barrier opened for them.

"If I destroy the entire barrier, it will leave Naraku's lair open to all. We don't need any nearby humans getting involved. We have to hurry and enter before the barrier repairs itself," InuTashio instructed before he glanced back at his mate. Izayoi nodded as she ushered the rest of the group into the opening.

When they all had crossed over, InuTashio followed in last, and the barrier mended itself soon after. Kagome glanced from where the barrier had once been to note that the entire scenery had changed. Naraku's barrier had not only covered his lair, but projected a completely different image to those outside of it.

What had been a typical looking storage facility was replaced by a tall black tower that escalated in levels. Tall horn-like spikes decorated the top of the ominous building as its dark brick foundation seemed to suck away all of the surrounding light. The ordinary trees that had been around them before had been replaced by dead bark that carried black instead of green leaves.

Another odd aspect of the strange world was how _still_ everything was. There were no signs of wildlife, and not even the wind blew through the trees or the dead grass at their feet. It was as if even time stood still.

"I think we should split up here," Shippo stated as he brought his hood over his head with his Kagome illusion still in place. Kagome nodded before she glanced at Kikyo for further instruction.

"I'll take the left side, you take the right," Kikyo commanded, and Kagome nodded in return.

"Mate," Sesshomaru called to her calmly. Kagome glanced at him in surprise before she approached him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Should Naraku put up more guards than we previously thought, do no hesitate to contact me," he stated as he observed her solemnly, "I've lost you to Naraku once already, I don't want it to happen again," he added.

Kagome's eyes softened as she nodded her head before she stood on her toes to plant a swift kiss atop his lips, her kiss made brief to be mindful to those around them. She wasn't entirely comfortable kissing his brains out in front of his family.

Kagome was about to pull away when he caught her and brought her close for another kiss, a real one. Kagome blushed when she felt his tongue's intrusion, but ignored her bashfulness as she kissed him back hungrily. When they parted Kagome felt her heart flutter when he bent his head to rest it against her forehead as his hand came up to cup her cheek gently.

_I wasn't able to do that before we went off to battle Naraku the first time_, he told her as Kagome's eyes widened slightly,_ I regretted not kissing you beforehand when it was no longer an option_, he added and Kagome rested her hand atop the one against her cheek as she leaned into his embrace slightly.

_I'm sorry you suffered so much for me, and had to wait so long for my return_, she answered him softly.

_The wait was well worth it_, he replied surely, and Kagome smiled.

He quickly lifted his head from hers before they parted and Kagome watched her mate, his parents, and Shippo make their way forward with the slight worrying of her lip.

"Things will turn out alright," Kikyo assured her levelly as she placed a hand atop her shoulder.

"You're right," Kagome replied as she pulled a smile. Things would be alright, they just had to be.

* * *

Rin let out a gasp of surprise when she was dropped to the ground after Hakudoshi had finally found a place he deemed "safe" enough. She still didn't know who he had been referring to when he had said "he woke up too soon" before he rushed off with her. Who else was trapped down here?

"Who was that?" Rin asked as she struggled to sit, and let out a hiss when her back cracked painfully after the much needed stretch. Hakudoshi sent her a trying glance before he turned back to look down the path they had just come from.

"Nobody," he replied, and Rin blew up her cheeks impatiently at his obvious lie.

"You said: 'he woke up too soon,' who was he?" she questioned hotly before she blushed at her own bluntness. A moment ago she had feared Hakudoshi for capturing her and threatening to kill her, now she was mouthing off to him. Surely he'd abide by his threat and kill her then and there.

His violet gaze glittered in the darkness as he surveyed her angrily before he stifled a sigh.

"It was another prisoner, a hanyou, who's been tainted by the demonic aura that runs through this cave," he gave him before he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly when Rin coaxed him to keep going with her smile and hasty nodding.

She did not know what he had meant by hanyou, but Rin wouldn't stop him to ask for an explanation. That he was telling her anything at all was a gift in itself, and she wouldn't risk losing out on more information by sweating the little details.

"Naraku has plans to...use his enraged self to throw a wrench in your father's plan to rescue you and stop him. While Sesshomaru has been known to hate Inuyasha throughout their history, he would not kill him no matter what he's done while fully transformed,"

"Inuyasha?" Rin protested in agony, her uncle's face flashing through her mind in that instant, "you have him here? But you can't! You mustn't hurt him!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Hakudoshi asked back with a smirk, "it's not like you can fight Naraku for him, or me for that matter,"

Rin stared at him helplessly for a moment before she glanced at the ground in defeat. He was right. She had no chance, as a human, to really take on Naraku or fight off Hakudoshi. But who said she had to fight him? He had opened up much more than he had promised he would with her. Perhaps she was simply going about it the wrong way.

Her lips quirked happily at the thought before she glanced at her capture sadly.

"You are right," she murmured and forced tears to coat her cinnamon eyes as she gazed away helplessly, "if only I were strong like you, then Naraku wouldn't stand a chance against me,"

"If you were strong like me you wouldn't have been captured so easily either," Hakudoshi remarked flatly.

"That's very true," Rin agreed as she let out a heavy sigh before she gazed back at him, "if I were as strong as you, I wouldn't be working for Naraku either. I'd show him who's boss, and run my own life," she added, and held her breath when Hakudoshi didn't immediately reply.

"Do you know what you're suggesting, child?" he sneered, "I'd be stupid to attack him now, not while he holds my other half in his grasp,"

"Your other half?" Rin asked back curiously.

"I was split in two many years ago. My other half holds not only Naraku's heart, but mine as well. It is in the form of a baby. Apart we never age, and I have been forced to remain in this child-like form for half a century," he snarled unhappily as Rin's eyes softened at the sound of his anguish.

"I'm sorry you've suffered so," she remarked truthfully, her scheming mind put to rest as she surveyed the boy before her. She couldn't really look at him as a child though, since he had lived for far longer than any child she had ever known. His mind had to be sharper, wiser, and much more mature than any child's could be. She could have guessed that, had his body been able to age, he would have been almost an adult by now.

"If I were able to rejoin with my other half, I would finally be able to age," he murmured as he stared at his hand, "not to mention get rid of Naraku without a problem," he added in a snarl.

"Then it's settled!" Rin declared happily as Hakudoshi glanced at her in surprise, "we'll just go get your other half back!"

* * *

A/N: Possible truce between Rin and Hakudoshi? How will Inuyasha be used against our heroes? The plot thickens! =P Thank you all again for being so patient with me! I know it's getting down to the wire now, but there's a lot more setting up I have to do before the final battle officially ensues between our group and Naraku. I promise I have a plan! Until next time!

P.S. I'm not sure if I'm writing Hakudoshi's character just right. He was very informative in this chapter, which may seem a bit OOC for him given that he tends to be pretty mysterious in the anime / manga. I'm kind of following my own thing while I write him, in hopes that he's following some type of schema, but I'm really doing it blindly. If anyone is a Hakudoshi fan, and could give me some feedback on him, I'd be eternally grateful!


	36. An unlikely alliance

A/N: I'm sorry this update took so long! I had trouble finding a place to stop since the end is so near. I'm going to be working on the next installment ASAP! Enjoy this next installment!

* * *

Kohaku slumped over the counter at his sister's flower shop as he idly stared out the large window that gave him the view of the world outside. He had promised to watch over the shop for Sango while she went out to check on a vacant building for sale. She had said that she wanted to expand. He supposed he thought it wouldn't be so soon.

_I suppose I shouldn't be surprised_, Kohaku thought with a slight sigh, _Sister's shop is practically floating on air, thanks to Sesshomaru's money._ _Rin's always in here buying new bouquets to place on her family's graves_. The thought of Rin made Kohaku grimace slightly as he laid his chin on his left palm. If only he had walked her all the way home that day. If only he had _insisted_. Maybe then she wouldn't have gone missing.

The guilt that ate away at his gut made Kohaku feel even worse as he rested his forehead on the counter with another sigh. Why couldn't he have seen how dangerous it was to leave Rin alone? Why couldn't he have protected her?

"E-hem!" an elderly woman cleared her throat, suddenly bringing Kohaku to attention. He hastily got to his feet before he awkwardly smoothed out the work vest buttoned over his T-shirt.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" Kohaku asked the woman kindly. Her wrinkled face pulled back into a smile before her dark eyes shimmered slightly.

"You don't need to be so formal with me, child. I merely wanted to tell you that there's a little girl outside who's been waving at you for some time now," she informed him. Kohaku blinked at the woman in surprise before he turned his head towards the window, and jolted back in shock.

Standing out front, while sporting a cheeky grin, was Rin. Her big brown eyes sparkled when she caught him looking at her as her waving motion grew more excited.

"Rin?" Kohaku breathed in amazement before he signaled for her to enter the store. She glanced at him, confused, before she shook her head and motioned for him to come to her.

"Isn't that precious? Is that girl your girlfriend?" the woman asked with a knowing smile. Kohaku's cheeks flushed slightly before he shook his head.

"She's just a friend," he informed the woman, and glanced back at Rin helplessly as she continued to motion him over. The old woman cooed softly to herself before she looked between Kohaku and Rin happily.

"Why don't you go out to her? I'm still browsing, so I won't need help for awhile," the woman offered kindly. Kohaku perked up at the chance before he nodded his head curtly. He'd only be out for a minute or two at most. He'd make sure Rin came back in with him, and called her father before he let her out of his sight again.

The old woman cooed happily again as Kohaku hurried around the counter and rushed outside to Rin. The little girl's face brightened when he came into her line of vision, and she let out a slight gasp of surprise when Kohaku took her into his arms and embraced her tightly.

"Thank heavens you're alright," he murmured hoarsely into her ear as he forced his body to stop shaking while he held her, "I thought something horrible had happened to you. Were you hurt? Does Sesshomaru know you're alright?" he hounded her.

Rin didn't immediately answer, but gently pushed their bodies apart so she could give him another one of her cheeky grins.

"I'm just fine, and Sesshomaru knows where I am," Rin replied surely, "I just wanted to see you again," she added timidly with a slight blush. Kohaku blinked in surprise at her embarrassment, but smiled softly in return before he placed a hand atop her head.

"I'm happy to see you, too," he murmured gently as Rin giggled bashfully, "why don't you come inside? I'll let you pick out a bouquet of flowers – on the house. I'm sure Sango won't mind, she'll be just as happy to know you're alright as I am. If Shippo hadn't asked for vacation time, I bet he'd be tackling you down too," Kohaku added with a light laugh.

Rin paused at his offer before she mildly shook her head, "Papa will be expecting me home. Would you walk with me, Kohaku?"

"Couldn't you just make a call to your father to come pick you up? After that last scare, I doubt Sesshomaru would want you to walk home alone again," Kohaku asked. Rin took another pause before she shook her head once again.

"I told him that you'd be willing to walk me home. I don't want him to come get me, I want to spend time with _you_," she stressed, and Kohaku blushed slightly at her forwardness.

"I would love to walk you home, Rin, but I'm in charge of the store until Sango gets back. She won't be gone for much longer. When she does come back, we can leave. How does that sound?"

"But I want to leave now!" Rin insisted with the stomp of her left foot. Kohaku paused at her tone, finding it odd coming from the girl he had never heard demand a thing from him since he had first met her.

"Rin, I already told you, I can't – "

"C'mon, it won't be a long walk!" Rin interrupted as she took hold of his hand and pulled him along with surprising strength.

"Rin, just wait a minute!" Kohaku commanded as he dug his heels into the concrete of the sidewalk to try and deter her, but to no avail.

"I don't want to wait," she growled as she tugged him further away from the shop. Kohaku pulled back as he fought to free his arm, knowing full well that this girl was not the Rin he knew. She would never be so demanding or forceful.

With another strong jerk, Kohaku was able to free his hand from her grasp. She whirled on her heels and eyed him impatiently.

"Why aren't you coming with me? Do you _want_ me to get kidnapped again?" she spat bitterly as Kohaku flinched at the verbal attack.

"What's happened to you, Rin? This isn't you talking," Kohaku replied calmly with the shake of his head. He was oblivious to the scenery around him, or lack there of, as the two were suddenly surrounded by a dark purple abyss. The real world around them melted away as the abyss rapidly took its place. Rin glared at him as her tiny hands fisted at her sides before something akin to laughter rose from her throat.

Kohaku held his breath at the oddly familiar sound before the girl before him disappeared behind a veil of large brown tentacles. They reached for every part of him, forcefully making him their prisoner in the time that it took him to blink.

He opened his mouth to scream for help, but another tentacle wound itself painfully over his mouth, cutting off his voice completely.

"I was hoping you would have come willing," Rin's voice sighed heavily from somewhere behind the sea of tentacles, "but now I see that I'm reduced to using force," she added, and Kohaku's felt a strong wind rush past his face before his world went black.

* * *

Kagome found herself hiding amongst the trees of the dead forest as she surveyed the grounds of the castle. Since the group had broken off to take on different parts of the colossal structure, Kagome had been taking extra care in how she moved forward.

Guards were stationed at every nook and cranny of the castle, and she bit her lip angrily as she mentally counted how many arrows she would need to use to take out the ones in her current line of vision. There were three standing before a side entrance, but a few others stationed on a level above and a few yards away.

If she struck the three in front of the door, at least one of the nearby guards would hear their screams of agony as they were purified. They would surely overtake her well before she made it even remotely close to getting inside.

_Save your arrows_, she heard Sesshomaru's voice state within her mind a second later, _use another one of your abilities instead,_ he recommended.

_You mean the demonic abilities that you passed to me?_ Kagome clarified in return.

_We didn't train that side of you for nothing_, he replied and Kagome could practically picture the smug smirk that decorated her mate's lips.

_Do you think I'm ready for that?_ She asked back uncertainly, even as she secured her bow and quiver across her chest.

_You have my powerful blood coursing through your veins_, he answered confidently, as if that alone would console her fears. Kagome rolled her eyes slightly before she smiled. She should have guessed he would have said something like that.

Kagome held her breath as she tried to call on the demonic power within her. It was surprisingly easy to access, compared to her priestess abilities. Her body tingled as the power within warmed her like an ever burning flame.

She could feel the transformation taking over her. Her gums tingled as her incisors elongated, her vision became more distinct, and she spotted strands of silver hair caress her forearms as she plastered her body against the bark of the tree to further hide her new form from view.

When she knew the process was complete, she dared herself to take another peek at the guards by the side entrance. A desire to take them down burned at the back of Kagome's mind as she licked her lips in anticipation.

She should have been terrified by the dark desire. She should have wanted it to stop, and waited for one of her comrades to come and help her. Instead, she bent her legs at the knees and readied her body to pounce.

Her fangs ground against each other as she opened her arms and held her newly formed claws at her sides. She took a moment to take a breath before she powerfully pushed off the ground and soared out towards the three guards blocking her way inside the castle.

They didn't seem to sense her at first. They were all idly standing around before the guard she had been targeting turned to glance in her direction just as her claws slashed across his face. He howled in surprise and agony before Kagome's hands clasped either side of his head and snapped his neck, effectively silencing him forever.

His body fell to the ground in a helpless heap of flesh before his comrades came at her. With a sense that Kagome didn't even know she had, she easily predicted their movements and evaded their strikes.

With a hop, Kagome landed on the back of one of the guards before she used his body to propel herself towards another that was vastly approaching the fight. The demon she had pushed off of stumbled forward, and right into another guard's sword.

Kagome grabbed hold of another guard's head while in mid-air, her claws digging into his neck as she took him with her. His body flipped unnaturally before the sound of his spine snapping cast a chorus of growls and screams in its wake.

She put the guard out of his misery before she whisked past the next group, her claws feverishly slashing and ripping through them. When she took a moment to catch her breath, the group of guards surrounding her fell to the ground at her feet.

More guards were steadily coming at her from the front, and she readied her body for the fight to come.

"Wait, Kagome," a familiar voice commanded suddenly as she whirled around to spot Kagura standing a few paces behind her. Her golden eyes widened slightly before she growled angrily at her, cracking her claws as her blood began to boil.

"You can stand down. I'm not going to attack you," Kagura assured her with the slight roll of her scarlet eyes, seemingly unimpressed by Kagome's transformation.

"Why should I trust you?" Kagome spat back, her rage over the woman's unscrupulous ways steadily returning within her, further fueling her accelerated bloodlust.

"Because I want you to defeat Naraku," Kagura replied as she opened a fan and held it up above her head, "you better move, unless you want me to cut you down, too?" she added as Kagome growled again.

"Why would you want to help me?" Kagome asked back suspiciously as Kagura let out an impatient sigh before she glared hotly at her.

"I'm not doing this for you," she scowled bitterly before her face softened slightly, "I'm doing it for him," she added as she turned her head towards the front of the castle. Though he was out of sight, Kagome already knew who she was referring to.

"He wouldn't want his mate to die before the real battle began," Kagura stated surely before she inclined her head towards the side entrance, "you better go now, I'll hold off the guards as long as I can,"

"But what about you?" Kagome asked, her anger quickly replaced by fear for the wind sorceress, "wouldn't helping me put your life in jeopardy?" Kagura merely snorted sarcastically in response,

"You call what I have a life? I'd rather risk it for the chance at true freedom," Kagura replied before she sent a dark glare Kagome's way, "are you going to leave or not?"

"How will you handle all of these guards? If we team up, I can at least help you," Kagome offered worriedly. Kagura's expression cleared for a moment as she stared at Kagome in surprise before a small smirk spread across her face.

"After all I've done to you...you'd still be willing to help me?" she asked softly, almost wistfully, "It's no wonder he chose you over me. Heh. Perhaps if I had been nicer...no. It was fated that you two would meet again. Hurry now, Kagome. Finish what should have been over and done with five hundred years ago,"

Kagome faltered at the sincerity in her voice. Perhaps Kagura was telling the truth. Kagome relaxed her stance before she nodded towards the wind sorceress and hurried out of her way. She paused at the door to glance back at her former rival.

Her crimson eyes narrowed in concentration before she swiped her fan forward, "Dance of Blades!" she called as bright crescent forms of light shot towards the upcoming guards. The attack took down the wave of demons, and with another sweep of her fan came another command: "Dance of the Dead!" she voiced as all of the bodies, hers and Kagome's kills combined, rose from the ground.

"Go and kill any guard you see. Leave anyone else who isn't a guard alone," Kagura commanded the mini army of puppet men as they slowly turned their bodies around and walked back towards the front of the castle. Kagura cast a glance in Kagome's direction before she pointedly glared at her.

"What are you still doing here? You should have made it half way to Naraku by now!" she hissed angrily as Kagome hastily replied with a quick apology before she disappeared into the castle.

The inside of the castle wasn't much different than the outside. The corridors that greeted her as Kagome ran past were just as dark and void of life as the scenery surrounding it. She was amazed to find that there were no guards patrolling the halls of the castle. Had Naraku sent all of his lines of defense to protect the outside of the castle, rather than the corridors within it?

_Don't let your guard down just yet, mate,_ she heard Sesshomaru's voice warn her,_there are a lot of demons out in front, but not enough that we're struggling with them. It all seems far too easy._

_Perhaps we overestimated Naraku?_ Kagome offered in return.

_I made the mistake of underestimating Naraku's power once, and I paid dearly for it. I won't do it again_, Sesshomaru answered back gravely. Kagome grimaced slightly at that, but silently agreed with him. It would be best if she kept a keen eye out for trouble, no matter how slight it might be.

* * *

"You think taking back my other half from Naraku will be _easy_?" Hakudoshi asked Rin angrily, his tone suggesting that her offer had offended him. Rin gulped uneasily before she shook her head.

"I didn't say that it would be easy," she replied meekly before she glanced away from his intense violet stare, "I just thought we might be able to do it if we work together," she added while timidly pushing her index fingers together, unsure of his response.

When he didn't immediate reply, Rin glanced back up at him curiously. His eyes had glazed over as he idly stared at something above her head, as if lost in thought. Perhaps he was thinking over what she could do for him, or of ways to kill her for even suggesting such an idea.

"I cannot attack Naraku directly," he admitted, suddenly breaking out of his daze, "because he'll be able to sense me, but he won't be able to sense a human's aura. You'll have to be quick though, he'll still be able to see and smell you if you stay close to him long enough," he warned, and Rin felt giddy excitement rise within her. It was quickly accompanied by fear, but she tried her hardest to ignore that aspect of it.

If she helped Hakudoshi now, he might be able to help her escape afterward. Rin knew that she could count on Sesshomaru and Kagome to save her, but having someone on the inside couldn't hurt her chances either.

"What do you want me to do?" she chirped, and Hakudoshi surveyed her suspiciously for a moment before he spoke,

"Are you _really_ willing to help free the demon that kidnapped you?"

"We're friends, aren't we?" Rin retorted with a little laugh. His violet eyes widened slightly at her choice of words before they reverted back to their neutral stare as a small smile tugged at the edges of his thin lips.

"Friends, huh? I wouldn't know, I've never had one before," he confessed nonchalantly. Rin's eyes saddened as she observed the individual standing before her. Instead of the monster she had seen kidnap and hurt her, a lonely boy stood in its place.

Before she could hold back, Rin threw her arms around Hakudoshi's waist and hugged him. She felt his body stiffen against hers, but he didn't push her away.

"I'm sorry," she murmured against his clothing as her arms tightened around him, "you must have been so lonely," she added sadly. Hakudoshi remained tense in her embrace before he took hold of her forearms and gently held her body at arms length.

"I don't need your pity," he growled before he let her go, and she wobbled while she struggled to find her balance, "Naraku's lair is down this hallway. I can follow you until we get back into the castle. From there, you're on your own,"

"I understand," Rin whispered, trying to pretend that his tone hadn't hurt or offended her. They walked in silence for a few moments before Hakudoshi spoke again,

"I'm only able to keep Naraku out of my head for a few minutes. I can regenerate an image of you still in my custody for about ten minutes before he'll realize it's a fake. That's all the time you'll have to get there, grab the baby, and get back. Got it?" he asked as he turned to glance back at her expectedly.

"Got it," she nodded curtly. He didn't respond, but turned back around and continued walking down the dark underground tunnel. Rin followed after him in silence, taking the time to calm her fluttering heart. She had agreed to help him, and she'd be true to her word. Sesshomaru had taught her the power of loyalty, and she'd prove it to Hakudoshi.

Within the next few moments that passed, they made it through the underground path and a wooden trap door hung above them. A set of steel steps were implanted against the wall that led up to the door like a makeshift staircase. Rin looked at it cautiously while Hakudoshi explained her situation,

"That's the entrance to the living quarters, a.k.a Naraku's resting place. He is in a coma-like state right now. He's using most of his energy to control the guards outside. He won't be easily roused, but that doesn't mean you can take your time and make all kinds of noise,"

Rin nodded and turned to make her way up the steel staircase when she heard Hakudoshi whisper one last thing,

"Be careful," it was said so softly that Rin questioned if she had imagined it. She glanced back at him curiously, but his back was already turned to her and he was heading back in the direction they had come.

_Alright, my ten minutes starts now,_ she thought nervously. Rin visibly gulped as she turned back to face the wooden door that separated her from Naraku. The thought that this could be a trap didn't leave Rin's mind for even a second as she ascended the steel steps, but another part of her trusted Hakudoshi as well. He _had_ warned her, and she understood that what she was doing was dangerous.

When she reached the top of the stairs she rested her palm against the wooden door's surface. She held her breath before she pushed against it, and the door shot open before it crashed against the stone of the upper floor.

Rin flinched at the loud 'bang' noise the door made when it hit the ground, and waited a moment to listen for activity from above. When there was none, she conjured up the courage to pop her head out of the tunnel and take a look around. Her blood ran cold when her eyes landed on the large mass resting before her.

A collection of tentacles were slowly twisting and curling around the entire room. A form that appeared to be the bare chest of a man seemed fused to the large mass at his waist level. His pale skin sharply contrasted the dark ochre tint of the tentacles attached to his middle. Long and wavy raven locks cascaded down his thin frame as his head hung forward, his eyes gently shut in a slumbering state.

Rin stared up at him in awe before the sound of soft footfalls caught her attention. She whirled her head around to spot a young girl with long white hair calmly making her way towards her. She was cloaked in a white dress with matching sandals and a similarly colored flower perched above her right ear. Eyes as black as the night itself watched Rin somewhat warily as the phantom of a girl approached her.

She looked to be around the same age as Rin, and she felt oddly comforted by that fact. Maybe she was kidnapped and looking for a way out as well? Perhaps she'd help her take the baby back to Hakudoshi.

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked in a soft murmur, her voice both soothing and unnerving at the same time. A shiver went up Rin's spine as she struggled to remain calm even as her pulse was steadily increasing.

Rin returned the girl's glance with a wary look of her own before she spotted a cluster of blankets bunched in the girl's pale arms, a tuff of white hair situated atop the fabrics. Rin knew that bundle was Hakudoshi's other half even before the baby turned to gaze at her curiously with his violet eyes.

Rin quickly climbed up out of the underground tunnel to stand at her full height. Sadly, her eyes barely lined up to the other girl's chin.

"I'm here for Hakudoshi," Rin replied curtly while glancing at the baby in the girl's arms. She held her head high even as she felt her knees buckling in fear, threatening to give out at any second. The girl tightened her hold around the baby before she slowly shook her head.

"I am responsible for him," she told Rin before she adjusted a strap on her shoulder. After a moment Rin realized that there was a mirror attached to that strap, and when she brought it fully around her shoulder she held it so Rin could see herself in its reflection.

"Look deep into my mirror," the girl instructed softly, and Rin found herself drawn to it despite the fact that her instincts were demanding that she do the exact opposite. She noted that the girl and her mirror appeared to be getting closer to her, or was she walking towards them? Either way, Rin felt her skin crawl as the distance between them continued to steadily shorten.

With every ounce of will power that she possessed, Rin dragged her eyes away from the mirror just as they were about to be within arms reach of each other.

"Please, you have to give me Hakudoshi's other half," Rin begged gently, mindful to keep her gaze down so she wouldn't be hypnotized by the mirror once more, "all he wants is his freedom," she added meekly.

"Freedom?" the girl repeated coolly, "no reincarnations of Naraku can receive that," she informed Rin dismissively.

"There has to be a way!" Rin insisted loudly before she bit her lip and cast a wary glance in Naraku's direction. Thankfully his submissive stance didn't waver at the sound of her voice.

"Maybe after Hakudoshi is free, we can help you get your freedom as well," Rin offered softly, purposefully keeping her voice down as she routinely glanced in Naraku's direction for any kind of movement. The girl paused at that, and Rin thought that she might really be considering it before her black eyes narrowed slightly.

"Impossible," she remarked before she lifted the mirror once more, "now that I know your intention, I must destroy you," she stated as spear-like objects slowly formed and stuck out from the glass of the mirror itself.

Rin's eyes widened as she leaped out of the way just in time to miss getting impaled by a fury of glass spears. They continued past her and struck a collection of tentacles instead, but still Naraku did not awaken. Rin let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding before she made a dash for the white haired phantom girl.

She merely turned the angle of her mirror and sent out more spears of glass. Rin fell onto her stomach to evade the next wave before she hopped to her feet and ran towards her again. She outstretched her hands towards the baby as she approached, and he even brought up his little hands to reach for her as well.

She was able to grab hold of one of the blankets wrapped around the baby, but the girl holding him captive was too quick. She pulled him out of Rin's grasp and swiftly placed the mirror in its place. Rin stared back at her reflection in horror before she was grabbed by the ankles and roughly dragged across the floor.

"Now, now, Kanna. There's no need for such violence," a deep male voice purred as Rin was lifted off the ground. She was then hung upside down, hovering a few feet in the air. She glanced up to spot a tentacle wound around her ankles that continued up to her knees. It held her securely in the air as her cinnamon orbs were suddenly caught in a red eyed gaze.

"You're far more courageous then I anticipated," Naraku remarked before an amused smirk quirked the edges of his lips, "I suppose I should be thanking Hakudoshi for leading you straight to me. I didn't expect to use you so soon, but Sesshomaru has nearly broken through my line of defense. So, I suppose this is as good a time as any,"

"W – What?" was all Rin could sputter out as she felt the blood in her body begin to rush to her head.

"Oh? Did you think Hakudoshi would really rebel against me? What a naïve child," he scoffed, "all of my servants are loyal to me, and if they aren't, they are punished. Much like Kagura was,"

"Kagura?" Kanna spoke up worriedly, "what happened to my sister?" she asked, and even though she sounded desperate to know the information, the volume of her voice barely rose an octave.

"She decided to aid Sesshomaru's forces. I do not accept disloyalty, so I destroyed her heart. She is no more," Naraku replied as his gaze returned to Rin's face, "now, what shall I do with you while we wait for Sesshomaru, little human?"

* * *

A/N: duh duh DUH! xD Like I said in my other author's note, I will be working on the next chapter and have it posted ASAP! Until next time!


	37. Rin must be brave

A/N: Wooo! So proud I'm getting this next chapter posted so quickly after the last one =). It's another dark one, like the previous chapter was. It will probably continue to be dark for the next few, to be honest. I apologize for there not being any lightheartedness in there somewhere, but I promise it will return eventually! This FF did start out as a romantic comedy, after all xD. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

_Rip_. _Tear_. _Destroy_.

Those three desires wouldn't leave Inuyasha's mind as he struggled to remain conscious. He had breathed in too much demonic miasma, that was obvious enough.

He growled loudly as he dug his claws into his palms, the pain keeping him awake as blood trickled down from in between his fingers. He would _not_ lose control. Not now. Not when people he cared about needed him.

"Why are you so set on fighting your primal desires, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked, his voice as smooth and calm as ever, "did you not want to become a full demon, like your brother? Give in to it now, and you will become one," he promised silkily.

"I don't want to become a monster," Inuyasha ground out, and he had an odd sense of de ja vu at the feelings that began to surface inside him, "If becoming a full demon means I'll be killing everything in my path, then I don't want it,"

"That is the human blood inside you talking, Inuyasha. The blood that _weakens_ you," Naraku scowled. Inuyasha snarled angrily in response as he whipped his head around in search of Naraku. He had transported Inuyasha into an enclosed room after capturing him in the underground tunnels. Excluding the few pieces of furniture – a wooden table, two chairs, and a long bench – the room was completely bare.

A steel door in the right corner of the room locked him in from the outside. He knew that because he had already tried to open it, multiple times, to no avail. Concrete walls painted an off white concealed his view. The room itself was small – Inuyasha could pace it from end to end it in less than a minute.

"Show yourself, Naraku! Or are you too frightened to face me?" Inuyasha baited before a smirk spread across his face and his glowing red eyes gleamed, "are you afraid that I'll kill you before you get the chance to fight Sesshomaru?"

"Make no mistake, Inuyasha, I could kill you right now if I wanted. But I have another use for you, so I'll keep you alive for a little while longer. Your friend Kagome is on her way here, and I was hoping to reunite the two of you. How will you react, I wonder, when you give in to your demonic desires and later awaken to find your friend torn to shreds? When you smell her blood coated on your claws? Would you weep, Inuyasha? Scream in terror?" Naraku asked before he laughed when Inuyasha began to feverishly search around the room that served as his temporary prison.

"I won't fall for your mind games," Inuyasha promised darkly as he pushed a chair aside and flipped the table. His raging actions continued as he kicked and punched whatever got in his way as he searched the room for anything. A camera, voice recorder, microphone; anything that he could destroy to stop Naraku from getting inside his head.

The man's dark laughter filled the room as Inuyasha fruitlessly searched until he left the room's contents completely unrecognizable.

"Yes, Inuyasha, get angry. Let my voice infuriate you," Naraku instructed as the half demon continued to demolish the defenseless furniture pieces scattered around the room. Inuyasha's fury rose as his search turned up nothing. Where was Naraku hiding? Where was the equipment that he was using to project his voice into the room?

When there was nothing left for him to destroy, Inuyasha's acute senses picked up a presence drawing near. It felt close, and demonic in nature. How could he have been so oblivious to it? Naraku was oddly silent in his head as Inuyasha tried to identify the new aura that was vastly approaching. His stance tensed as he braced himself for it.

The steel door shook and whined as a force was exerted against it from the other side. The sound of a loud snap quickly followed by the metal clank of a falling object had Inuyasha reeling on his heel as he turned to face whatever was shielded by the heavy barrier of the steel door.

The door was yanked open and shoved aside as a figure walked into the room, only to reveal that it was a woman with long silver hair and gold eyes. Inuyasha stared at the woman in awe, finding her features both familiar and exotic. She eyed him like one would to a friend before she began to cautiously approach him.

Her slender legs carried her hourglass figure slowly across the room towards him as he struggled to remain still. She looked like a vision. An angel. Was he hallucinating? He couldn't tell for sure, but he reveled in the moment as his glowing eyes watched her hungrily.

"Inuyasha," she called to him, her voice like chime bells. He smiled ever so slightly, even as her demonic aura collided with his. It was a silent warning to keep his distance.

"How long have you been here? What has Naraku done to you?" the woman questioned as she continued to circle him. He found her scent rather enticing. He watched her movements confidently as his hunger began to build.

"Answer me!" she growled when he remained silent, "this isn't like you, Inuyasha," she murmured as she lowered her golden gaze. It was then that he realized who she was. He'd recognize that expression anywhere.

"K – Kagome?!" he shouted suddenly in shock, "what the hell happened to you?" he asked in outrage as he snapped out of the trance her aura and scent had put him in.

"That's more like it," she smiled before it fell slightly, "I can't explain it all to you now. I will later, I promise. We have to get you out of here before Naraku does more to you then he already has," the mention of Naraku sent Inuyasha's mind reeling, and he grimaced slightly before he replied,

"I can't do that. He's already affected me. He's gotten inside my head somehow. I'm not safe around you,"

"You seem to be controlling yourself just fine now," Kagome noted before she faltered when the sound of Naraku's voice caught both of them off guard.

"You must not know Inuyasha as well as you think, miko," his voice teased before the man of the hour strolled in a second later with a confident smirk in place, "Inuyasha is under a lot of psychological stress. All he needs is a little push, and the man you know will disappear completely,"

"I'll never let you corrupt him," Kagome snarled as she bent at the knees and readied her body to strike Naraku down. Inuyasha silently agreed with her and prepared to attack him alongside her when something stopped him.

Suddenly his body wouldn't obey him. He stood perfectly still as he inwardly struggled to move his limbs. He realized all too late what was happening, but couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to call out to Kagome, to tell her to run, but his mouth wouldn't obey him either.

"You dare think so highly of yourself? You may have been able to defeat my puppet once, but it won't happen again," Naraku replied with a scowl before he snapped his fingers. Without a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha broke out into an all out run to Naraku's side. He stood facing Kagome while blocking her from reaching Naraku.

Kagome stared at him in shock before she calmed herself and glared back when a loud growl emitted from his throat. He glanced at her pleadingly as he fought to give her some sort of signal to let her know that he wasn't the one in control. Her expression never changed, so he could only assume she didn't pick up on his silent plea to stand down.

"He's under my control. My puppet, of sorts," Naraku smiled, "are you willing to kill your friend to get to me, Kagome?" he asked, and Kagome's expression darkened.

"Is this how you expect to win, Naraku? By hiding behind others?" she baited back, and Naraku faltered slightly.

"Strategy is something one needs if they expect to defeat an opponent. Brute force alone cannot guarantee a win," he replied coolly in return. Kagome made a move towards him, but Inuyasha felt his body move in turn, blocking her route to Naraku once again.

He wanted to turn and take Naraku out himself. He was so close...If only he could break out of whatever trance Naraku had him under.

"Inuyasha..." he heard Kagome murmur as she stared back at him helplessly, "please, if you can hear me, let me through. I don't want to fight you," she begged.

_I can hear you!_ He thought in aggravation as he tried to will his body to move, to no avail. Instead, to his utter disgust, he growled at her again before he began to swiftly approach her.

"Impossible," he heard Naraku remark from behind him, "Inuyasha cannot hear you anymore. You'll have to kill him if you want to live," he added as Kagome faltered before she moved away from Inuyasha's claws as they made a swipe for her middle.

Inuyasha felt like he was going to be sick. He tried his hardest to regain control, but his body refused to listen. He watched helplessly as his claws came at Kagome's face, and she easily deflected the blow with a quick shove.

"Inuyasha!" she urged under her breath as she narrowly evaded another one of his strikes. He wanted to scream. He had to do _something_ to let her know that he wasn't the one orchestrating the attacks.

She side stepped him when he made a grab for her right arm, but misjudged his speed. Both of his clawed hands wrapped themselves around her neck as her body jerked forward. She choked before she stared up at him fearfully as he hunched over her.

"Now, Inuyasha!" he heard Naraku order, "take her life with the claws that you have around her neck,"

_No_! he screamed from within as he surged all the willpower he could into his hands. He willed them to open and let her go. He watched them closely, and after a few moments his fingers slowly began dislodging themselves from her neck.

He noted her relieved expression, and it further motivated him to pull his hands away completely. His body began responding to his will, and before long Kagome was free once more. She stepped away with a small smile as he noted the proud glint in her eyes.

His chest swelled at the silent praise before he slowly began to turn to glance back at Naraku.

"No more games," he growled menacingly, but Naraku didn't so much as blink. Instead he smiled, and then he laughed. The other two watched him closely as his laugh seemed to echo within the room, it's excited nature unnerving the both of them.

"You think you've won? We've only just begun," Naraku grinned before he snapped his fingers again. The walls around them creaked as openings from all sides suddenly appeared. A purple miasma filtered in from them, and Inuyasha quickly covered his mouth at the familiar sight.

"Covering your mouth won't help, Inuyasha," Naraku informed him, "you'll need to breathe eventually," he chuckled. Inuyasha wanted to growl at him, but held it in for fear that he'd inhale some of the miasma if he did.

Kagome seemed unaffected by the miasma. She glanced around worriedly as the clouds began to surround her, but her eyes didn't glow and her body didn't change. Naraku's form began to steadily disappear behind the smog, and Inuyasha made a dash for him.

Covering his mouth the best he could with his sleeve, he ran at him. He caught sight of Kagome beside him, presumably following his lead. They charged the man that was quickly becoming a shadow, but by the time they reached him, he was gone.

Kagome growled and Inuyasha cursed, but there was nothing they could do. Then the sound of the steel door closing set them both on edge. The sound was almost deafening as horror began to sink into Inuyasha's system. He'd never be able to resist inhaling the miasma, especially if it was enclosed in a single room.

"Kagome, you have to get out," he commanded, his voice muffled behind his sleeve. He figured he'd be inhaling the miasma either way, so why not take advantage of the time he had left? Kagome turned to glance at him, and he was surprised to see how calm and collected she looked. This was not the Kagome he was used to seeing.

"Not without you," she answered determinedly.

"I could kill you," he told her urgently. Her expression softened slightly before she turned to stare at him straight on.

"I know," was her calm reply. He stared at her in shock before it quickly faded when he felt the miasma begin to attack his system. His throat nearly closed as he sputtered and coughed, struggling to breathe.

The last thing he saw before his world went black was Kagome's worried expression as she outstretched her hand towards him.

* * *

"What shall I do with you while we wait for Sesshomaru, little human?" Naraku asked as Rin stared back at him fearfully. Tears prickled at the edges of her eyes as she hung limply in his hold. Was this really the end? Was she really going to die here?

_No_. A voice inside her said, and sounded so certain of that. Rin gulped as she struggled to gain strength from that voice, and glared back at Naraku.

"You can't kill me. Sesshomaru will be here before you get the chance to do anything," she stated confidently as Naraku's smirk turned into a grin.

"Such faith in a man that isn't connected to you by blood. Do you really thing you matter that much to him?" he questioned. Rin faltered at that, but the voice from before assured her that he would come.

"You wouldn't have kidnapped me if I wasn't, and I wouldn't still be alive if I didn't matter to him," she answered him surely. Naraku's expression softened as he eyed her wistfully.

"You do catch on quickly, for one so young," he remarked, almost pridefully, before his expression returned to one of confidence, "your mind seems incorruptible to my words. Is it because you are strong willed, or simply ignorant?"

"I know Sesshomaru would never turn his back on me. He'll protect me no matter what," Rin replied firmly before she began to struggle against the tentacle wound around her legs. She clawed at it with her nails, but the skin was too thick to get through with her human strength.

Naraku seemed unfazed by her actions, and before long Rin felt her arms grow steadily weaker. The blood was still rushing to her head, and it became increasingly harder to move her hands. Before long her arms went limp and she hung suspended in the air like a tattered rag doll.

"It seems the fight has been drained out of you," Naraku noted with another smile before he set her down on the ground next to Kanna, "keep her here. If she struggles, punish her," he commanded as the white haired girl nodded her head.

"I would have liked to torture you a little before Sesshomaru got here, but it seems my fun will have to be cut short. I had expected Hakodoshi to be fully able of taking out the other miko," Naraku growled as he resumed the position he was in earlier when Rin had first arrived. This time, however, his body hung over defensively as his crimson eyes disappeared behind blue painted eyelids.

"Kagura...why?" Rin heard Kanna murmur sadly next to her. Rin moved her head slightly to glance up at her to note that she was still holding Hakudoshi's other half against her chest. She spotted a small fist come up from behind the bundle of blankets to tangle itself in her white hair.

Her dark eyes turned to glance down at the baby coolly, her expression never changing, but she brought up a hand to rest against the tiny fist.

"Please, you have to...help us," Rin pleaded, her breathing ragged as she struggled to focus her vision on the phantom girl towering over her.

"I am no traitor," she responded sharply. Rin's eyes softened slightly before she let out a pained cough when her chest tightened unexpectedly. Her body still tingled almost painfully as the blood was vastly returning to her limbs. When she was able to gain better control of her breathing she let out a small laugh.

"You're so loyal. I think that's wonderful," Rin remarked in a gentle murmur as Kanna's eyes widened slightly before she took a hasty step back.

"It's...you," she murmured shakily, and Rin glanced up at her in confusion. Her raven eyes remained open wide as she stared at Rin like she was the most frightening presence she had ever seen. Rin caught sight of the baby in the phantom's arms, but he didn't sport the same look that his guardian did. In fact, he looked rather pleased.

"How did you – it's been so long," she stammered, and took another hasty step back when Rin rolled onto her stomach and clumsily rose to her feet. Rin watched her uneasily as she wondered what about her had scared Kanna so badly all of the sudden.

Kanna's expression reverted back to her calm demeanor when she noted Rin's own uneasy, "You must understand. I only wanted freedom to escape with my sister. Now that she's gone...I have no reason to commit treason," she stated coolly.

"Do you not wish to leave with Hakudoshi?" Rin questioned, and oddly felt like it was the right thing to ask. Although, she didn't quite understand why. Kanna looked even more surprised than before as she turned to gaze down at the baby in her arms.

"He _is_ my brother," she murmured, almost lovingly, as she caressed the baby's fist that was still clutching a few strands of her hair.

"Believe in him. Find the drive that motivated you before, and shift it towards Hakudoshi," Rin offered. Kanna's expression slackened as her hands tightened around the bundle protectively.

"I can't escape with him. Naraku would never allow us all to leave," she replied sadly before she glanced back at Rin. Without an explanation she lifted Hakudoshi slightly and angled him so that he was looking at Rin directly. The baby gazed at her with familiar violet eyes before he let go of Kanna's hair and reached his chubby arms towards Rin instead.

Rin approached them cautiously, weighing Kanna's body language as she neared. She didn't even blink. When Rin was within arms reach of Hakudoshi, Kanna pushed him into her arms. Rin jumped slightly in surprise before she awkwardly fumbled with the bundle until she had Hakudoshi secured against her front. Kanna still did not utter a word as she turned towards Naraku's slumbering form.

Rin could only look at her in surprise, and was about to ask what she was planning to do when Kanna held up a hand to stop her.

"You won't have much time to escape. Go now," she instructed. Rin glanced down at Hakudoshi before giving the other girl a quick nod.

A small smile brightened the girl's seemingly lifeless face as she gazed at Hakudoshi one last time before she walked forward and grabbed for the strap on her shoulder that was attached to her mirror. She angled it slightly before Rin recognized the shards of glass that emerged from it.

She felt a tug on a part of her hair suddenly, and glanced down to see that Hakudoshi had wound a lock of her hair in his fist. He gazed up at her expectedly before angling his head towards the trap door she had emerged from earlier.

"Right!" she cried out when she understood his intent before she made her way towards it. She heard the sound of glass shattering, and couldn't help but glance over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw Naraku's tentacles shifting and knocking on the floor at Kanna's sudden attack. His body hadn't fully awakened yet, but Rin noted that the tentacles seemed to move on their own accord. They moved to protect Naraku's exposed human form while they hurled towards Kanna.

Rin watched in dismay as the young phantom was suddenly swarmed by a sea of tentacles. Her pale form disappeared completely in a matter of seconds.

_Hurry_, the voice from before commanded urgently. Rin jerked at the sound before she whirled her head back around and rushed towards the door. The remaining tentacles slithered and swept across the floor as Rin did her best to evade them. She jumped over low ones, and slid across the floor when others tried to make a swipe at her head.

Holding Hakudoshi against her made dodging the tentacles a lot harder for Rin, but she refused to loosen her hold on him. She wouldn't let her friend down, and she wouldn't let Kanna's sacrifice be vain, either. With another high jump, Rin evaded yet another tentacle and landed next to the wooden trap door.

She was just about to crawl down the still exposed staircase when one of the tentacles near her flew past and slammed the door shut. Rin jumped back to dodge it, but let out a withered breath at the sight of the closed door. With the way the tentacles were moving above them, Rin would need to be able to open the door and climb down in a few seconds. The tentacles aggressively hovering above them would never give her that much time.

_Wait for a time window,_ the voice advised as Rin silently obeyed. Luckily, Kanna's attacks were still going on, and were keeping most of Naraku's attention away from her. Rin crouched down near the trap door as she waited for the tentacles above her to move away from the door.

Another wave of glass shot over Rin's head as the girl turned to spot Kanna emerge from the close knit group of tentacles, unharmed. Rin smiled slightly before she saw some of the tentacles hovering over the trap door move towards Kanna. As Kanna kept on the attack, more and more tentacles migrated over to try and stop her.

_Now!_ The voice commanded when the last tentacle rose and lashed out towards Kanna. Rin didn't waste a second as she ran over to the door and grabbed hold of the handle. She grunted as she struggled to open it, only to stumble backward when the door came flying open.

She squirmed out of the way, barely missing getting her toes squashed under the heavy door. She hopped to her feet and began to hastily climb down the staircase into the underground tunnels. Not bothering to shut the door behind her, Rin balanced Hakudoshi against her front as she descended the parallel steel steps one handed.

When she made it to the ground she whirled on her heel and ran down the tunnel, hoping that the other Hakudoshi was somewhere nearby. He couldn't have gone too far, right?

* * *

Kikyo held her bow taunt in her hands as she plastered her body against the bark of a tree, her senses on high for any signs of an attack. She had just taken care of a couple of guards while using the forest as a shield, but had also wasted a good amount of her arrows in the process. She grimaced slightly when she spotted more guards coming to patrol the perimeter.

She'd never make it into the castle this way.

"Having a bit of trouble, are we?" the voice of a young boy teased her as Kikyo stiffened before she turned to spot a small boy standing behind her. His long white hair cascaded down his shoulders, and disheveled bangs hung over his amethyst eyes. He wore pale traditional clothing, and had his hands folded inside his sleeves. Her dark brown eyes narrowed slightly as she tipped her arrow and directed it towards the boy.

"Are you one of Naraku's soldiers?" she asked him sternly. The boy smirked at her before he shrugged his shoulders.

"If that's what you want to label me as. I was just passing through the area," he answered smugly, but Kikyo refused to let her guard down even for a second. The boy seemed to note her humorless expression as his own expression darkened slightly.

"What are you doing here, anyway? This isn't a safe place to be walking around on your own," he remarked as Kikyo glared back at him, her hand still taunt on her bowstring.

"I could say the same to you," she replied coolly before she inclined her head, "you should leave now, before you get hurt,"

"Heh, you think I'm really that helpless?" the boy sneered before he suddenly disappeared from her view. Kikyo's eyes widened slightly before she glanced around swiftly. She forced her mind to quiet her unease as she searched for his demonic aura instead. His presence was far easier to sense, and she whirled around just in time to spot him reappear.

He jerked his body out of the way of her arrow as it flew a few inches past his left ear. His soft features softened even further as he smiled at her almost happily,

"You're quite skilled to have sensed where I would teleport myself. Perhaps you will be more of a challenge than I thought," he commented before he came at her with his demonic speed. Kikyo had a right to be frightened at having to follow a being that most could not, but she calmed her thoughts and grabbed for one of her arrows instead.

Instead of knocking it to the bow, she held it in her hand and purified it. Her pink aura collected around the weapon's edge before she made the mental plan to jump back. She sensed the boy's aura swiftly shift to the right and she jumped forward to intercept him.

She saw a slightly shocked expression pass over his face as he jerked his body back, but not before Kikyo could get a good swipe at his right arm. The flesh that her arrow touched purified the limb on contact and it disappeared into ash.

The boy jumped a few yards away from her, and held onto what remained of his arm as he glared darkly at her. She simply smiled slightly in return.

"I thought you might be able to read my mind," she remarked as she twirled the arrow in between her fingers, "you weren't the least bit surprised to see me turn when I sensed your aura behind me. So I decided to test you," she added before she noted the slight unease that took over the boy's features.

She had disabled one of his abilities, simply by enticing doubt into his mind. Now, whenever he read her mind he'd be questioning whether or not her thoughts were the truth or a manipulative lie.

Her senses were back on high when his overconfident smirk returned.

"You can't outsmart me, no matter how you try to manipulate your thoughts," he informed her, "I'll still be able to sense your desire to lie. You just got lucky earlier," he added smartly before his arm that had nearly been purified regenerated itself. Kikyo paused at that before she knocked her arrow once more and took aim.

He crouched slightly before he teleported again. Kikyo held her breath as she waited to feel his aura collide with her own. When she did she darted quickly to the side before she released the arrow. With an angered breath she watched it fly past the boy's head as he easily dodged it.

He rushed at her as Kikyo quickly reached for her last arrow, but before she could line up the shot the boy stopped his assault altogether. A look that resembled surprise overtook his features suddenly as he stood completely still a few yards away from her.

His body remained tense for a few seconds before he whirled around so his back was to her. He looked up at the castle for a moment before Kikyo heard him softly mutter, "I can't believe she actually did it,"

"Who did what?" she urged defensively, but the boy simply teleported away without giving her an answer. She stood rigid in the clearing for another second or two before she relaxed her stance. It seemed something else had captured the boy's attention.

She returned her last arrow to her quiver as she hooked her bow over her other shoulder. She wasn't sure how much time she had left, but she knew she needed to make a few more arrows before she ventured inside the castle.

She turned around to make her way deeper into the dead forest. When she found thick enough trees that she could use, she placed her hand on the black bark to test its durability. It was as dead as it looked, but when her fingers caressed the timber it seemed to purify under her touch. When she pulled her hand back slightly she noted that perfectly good wood took its place.

Kikyo then replaced her hand on the bark before she exerted as much pure energy as she could into the tree. It lit up with her pink aura before the black coloring faded away, and a healthy tree was revealed underneath.

She smiled slightly before she reached for the carving knife that she always had stored in her quiver. She often used it to carve arrows out of chopped wood, but it seemed like it would also serve as her saw as well. She then began to cut away a thick piece of the bark. She inspected its sturdiness, and when she was satisfied with it she began to carve it into the shape of an arrow.

It would be a tedious project, but it had to be done. Kikyo would not face Naraku unarmed.

* * *

A/N: Another cliffy, I know T^T but I am getting really close to the end (possibly another three or four chapters to go) so I'm hoping to get the last few chapters out as soon as I can! Thanks for reading! Until next time!


	38. The end draws near

A/N: First off, I want to start off my saying I'm really sorry I've been MIA for so long. Life has really been putting me through the ringer lately. I haven't been able to find time to write, much less be inspired enough to write. Here is the next update. I hope (crossing my fingers) that I can find more time soon to write the next chapter but I can't promise anything. I hope you like this next installment! Thanks so much for your support and for reading!

* * *

Sesshomaru pushed back another wave of guards with the energy that came from a quick sweep of his sword. The group of guards that had been rushing towards him were sent flying in all directions, their bodies quickly turning into small wooden dolls. Dolls that he had seen far too much of. With an impatient sigh he twisted his wrist and tossed a few other guards aside. The guards were no match for his power, or for any of his companions. The fighting had been one-sided since the start, but the sheer number of guards standing in front of the castle had been wasting a lot of their time.

None of the guards were human or demon either. Wooden puppets would fall to the ground once the guards were "killed" and Naraku had practically stationed an entire army of them at the front gates. Sesshomaru was quickly getting bored with having to deal with such weak opponents when the one he wanted was sitting patiently inside the walls of the castle, waiting for them.

His father and stepmother had made their way to intercept the right side of the army, but he hadn't seen an decrease in their numbers since then. With another fast swipe of his sword he easily cleared a yard of guards. He fought his way past a few more groups of approaching puppets, but noted that the lines of them never seemed to end. Just how long was Naraku expecting to keep them occupied with such a menial task?

Just as he was about to make a slash at one of the guards that had gotten far closer than the others, a brightly lit arrow impaled the puppet. It quickly fell to the ground in a heep of purple smoke before Naraku's familiar wooden doll sat in its place. Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to spot Shippo standing with his bow drawn. He was still in his mate's disguise, and he was vaguely impressed at how he had even gotten her stance right.

As if able to hear his silent praise, Shippo smiled broadly at him before he gave him a very uncharacteristic thumbs up.

"Saved you, didn't I?" he smirked, and Sesshomaru found it difficult to hear his mate's voice when he knew the demon before him was not her. He did not like that he had to be apart from his mate, but he agreed that it would be too predictable to stay together. Naraku would be expecting that, which would explain the sheer number of guards he had set up for them to fight.

"Are you fatiguing...mate?" Sesshomaru held in his need to grimace at having to act "in character" when he knew very well that he was talking to Shippo. His true mate would make it up to him later, but for now he needed to play the part in case Naraku had any spies watching them. Any hints that Shippo wasn't Kagome would ruin the entire illusion.

"Nope!" Shippo winked back, "I've never felt better! Can't wait to beat up more of Naraku's puppets,"

"Don't strain yourself," he warned, and had meant it. He wasn't sure how strenous staying in another form would be for Shippo. He didn't want the fox demon transforming back into his form too soon, or his mate's life would be in jeopardy.

"Don't worry about me, Sesshomaru," Shippo assured him, and Sesshomaru found that he could even portray Kagome's care-free intonation perfectly, "we didn't train all this time for nothing," he added in a murmur, and Sesshomaru quickly picked up on the hidden message.

While Shippo had grown considerably since he had first been taken into his care, he still tended to view the kitsune as a child. Even now his mind refused to believe that the kitsune had grown into a confident adolescent when he had been a sniveling mess only centuries before.

"True," Sesshomaru agreed. Shippo smiled back before he gave Sesshomaru a curt nod and quickly turned to intercept a puppet that had tried to take him off guard. Sesshomaru did the same and blocked an attack that had been meant for the back of Shippo's head.

"Sesshomaru!" A familiar voice cried out, and he paused at the sound but did not relax his battle stance. While the voice was familiar, it did not comfort him. The source of that voice revealed herself a moment later as the wind sorceress appeared from within the mass of puppets.

"You have to keep moving past these men," she informed him urgently before she waved the open fan in her hand and a group of puppets suddenly turned on the others and they began disassembling their comrades.

"Why should I trust you?" he asked back before he raised his sword and sent another wave of energy at a group of men who had foolishly tried to sneak up on him. All the while never taking his eyes off of Kagura.

"Because I want Naraku dead as much as you do," she answered sharply as she manipulated her fan to force more puppets to turn on the others, "and if you keep fighting these men you'll never move past the front gates. There are a few real puppets here, but the majority of them are merely an illusion created by Naraku's barrier. You'll just keep killing men until you tire yourself out,"

"And what if this is a trap simply to keep more men alive to come after us later?" he asked, his voice soft but the venom within it clear to the sorceress' ears. She gave him a stubborn look before she sighed slightly.

"Such a stubborn man," she huffed under her breath, "you have to keep going because Rin is inside, and I don't know how long Naraku intends to keep her alive," she added before she paused when her eyes fell on Shippo a few feet away from them.

"Why are you here? I thought I told you to go into the castle!" the wind sorceress hissed, and Shippo jumped slightly at her tone before he hastily looked around at everything but her.

"I – uh – figured I should check on Sesshomaru first. I was worried that he might be in over his head," Shippo laughed before he shuddered when Sesshomaru sent him a less-than-pleased stare while trying to remain discreet about it. Kagura didn't seem to notice because she simply crossed her arms and shut her eyes impatiently.

"I knew you were an idiot," she muttered under her breath, "no matter. You need to get going if you except to save Rin before Naraku gets bored with her,"

Sesshomaru paused at her words, and looked around at the puppets steadily surrounding them. When he focused his gaze he noticed that many of them became transparent to his eyes. A few remained solid, but there were only two or three compared to a couple hundred.

"You see them now, don't you?" Kagura asked, following his gaze before she inclined her head towards the castle, "hurry after your daughter, Sesshomaru. She needs your help. I will take care of the rest here,"

"How can I trust your word? After all, you are connected to Naraku,"

"Like I said, I want Naraku dead as much as you do. I believe that you and your mate can defeat him once and for all. If I have to sacrifice myself for that cause, then so be it. I can accept that," she replied confidently.

Sesshomaru hesitated as he weighed her words. Although she was on the side of the enemy, she had told him about Naraku's trick. If she had wanted him to stay away from Naraku, then she would have let him continue on fighting imaginary foes forever.

"I will leave this to you," he answered, signaling to the guards still surrounding them, and she smiled slightly.

"Hurry now, you don't have much time," she replied hastily. Sesshomaru glanced over to Shippo and the fox demon nodded confidently in return. He nodded once before he jumped over a group of guards and pushed ahead, Shippo not far behind. _Father, there has been a change of plans_, he sent his father the telepathic message, _the men here are simply illusions meant to keep us busy. Make your way through them with Izayoi._

_Understood_, his father answered back a second later. Sesshomaru continued towards the castle entrance without looking back. He did not see Kagura falter and then fall to the ground. Or see her grab her chest painfully as she struggled to breathe. He did not see her look at him longingly as she let out her last breath before her eyes closed.

* * *

Kikyo had just finished carving her sixth arrow when she felt a presence appear a few feet away from her. She paused in putting her arrow into the quiver around her shoulder as she remained still. She waited for something to happen for a few seconds before she stood from her kneeling position on the ground.

"Show yourself," she demanded when she could still feel the presence nearby, but could not see the creator. The aura did not feel particularly dangerous, but it unnerved her nonetheless.

"You do not need to fear me. I will not hurt you, I want to help," a voice replied from behind Kikyo. The priestess whirled on her heel just in time to catch the sight of a glowing girl standing a few feet away from her.

The girl looked to be no older than sixteen or seventeen, but the sad look in her eyes made her appear far older. A pure white aura surrounded the girl, and when she took a step forward Kikyo noticed the white wings on her back flutter slightly.

"An angel?" Kikyo questioned as the girl faltered slightly before she nodded her head.

"More a ghost than angel, but you can call me an angel if you like. I like the sound of it," she giggled, and Kikyo found that even her laughter sounded sad. Her tough exterior cracked at the painful sound, and she felt a clenching pain in her chest. Kikyo lowered her gaze, finding the girl's aura so bright that it hurt her eyes.

"What is an angel doing in a place like this?" Kikyo asked, and the girl gave her a genuine smile.

"You let me in," she chirped happily.

"How? I don't even know who you are," Kikyo answered as she tried to place the girl's face. She did seem somewhat familiar, but she couldn't think of how they knew one another.

"When you purified this tree," the girl replied as she moved forward to caress the bark that Kikyo had purified, "when you did that, you created a hole in Naraku's barrier. It allowed me to get in," she explained.

"What business do you have with Naraku?" Kikyo asked, hiding her curiosity behind her stoic mask. The angel merely smiled back at her, as if she knew that Kikyo was hiding her feelings before she replied,

"He transformed into the man I loved, and then tried to make me think that he was my murderer,"

"So, you're coming back for revenge?" Kikyo questioned.

"No, not revenge. What happened in the past cannot be undone, but I can protect the future," she answered, "The ones I love are going to fight Naraku because of me. I won't allow Naraku to kill anyone else, and have vowed to do all I can to protect them,"

"Who are you?" Kikyo asked, and studied the angel's features closely. She smiled at Kikyo before she placed a hand against her breast,

"I am Rin," she replied curtly. Kikyo's eyes widened as she took her in for a moment, and did notice the similarities in her appearance. She had the same wild hair she had had as a child, and her eyes were still the same cinnamon color they had been back then.

"But I've only seen you as a child, how are you in this form and not one much older? Surely you lived a long life with Sesshomaru as your protector,"

"Like I said before, Naraku transformed into the man I loved and murdered me. He had meant to cause strife between Sesshomaru and that man. That gave Naraku time to kill the rest of my loved ones one by one while Sesshomaru was distracted,"

"Who was the man?" Kikyo asked and Rin lowered her gaze as a reminiscent smile appeared on her lips.

"Kohaku," Rin murmured lovingly, "his reincarnation has also returned to this world, but like me, his soul is trapped until his living form matures to the age when he died,"

"How long have you been waiting to return to the living? Why have you not passed on?" Kikyo asked. Rin's expression brightened suddenly as a true smile flashed across her face.

"I've been waiting for five hundred years, because I wanted to watch over Sesshomaru, like he had watched over me," she replied, "and give him hope that I would return to the living. He blamed himself for my death for many years, and fell into an even darker place when Kagome died. I wanted to keep him company, and let him know that things would change. He would have all that he had once had one day,"

"But how did you remain here for so long?" Kikyo questioned as Rin shrugged slightly.

"I simply refused to go to the 'other world' until I could return to the other half of my soul that would be reincarnated. It got easier the longer I stayed in this realm. My soul also grew more powerful as the centuries passed. It gives me the power to not only remain here, but I can even prevent the death of others to a certain extent. I can stop a soul from passing over if I can catch them before they leave their body,"

"A soul that defies death...you must have gone through many obstacles to reach this point in your existence," Kikyo noted as Rin nodded.

"It was tough for awhile, but keeping Sesshomaru happy was all the motivation I needed," Rin smiled, "not that Sesshomaru looked all that happy when he actually was," she added with a giggle.

"You really love him," Kikyo observed as Rin nodded.

"Of course! He did save my life countless times while I was alive. I merely wanted him to know that his actions were not in vain. But enough about that, I came to you because I need your help,"

"My help?" Kikyo asked back as Rin nodded curtly.

"I need to protect my living reincarnation until she turns sixteen – so that I can rejoin her and we can finally become one like we were five hundred years ago. To do that I need to lead Kagome and Sesshomaru to Naraku before he kills her, but right now they are both under massive attack. Sesshomaru is fighting off numerous amounts of Naraku's guards, and Kagome is trying to get past Inuyasha who has been taken over by Naraku's miasma," she explained.

"I see. Why would you think I would help you?" she asked as Rin faltered slightly at her words.

"Don't you love Inuyasha?" Rin asked back, and it was Kikyo's turn to hesitate.

"I – I don't understand my feelings for him at the moment, but if I kill Naraku then Inuyasha will no longer be under his control,"

"But we need to help Inuyasha now! He's already starting to transform into his demon form, and Kagome won't be able to kill him when he attacks her. She cares about him too much for that. Don't you want to stop him before there's a bloodbath?"

Kikyo held her breath at that information, and silently cursed for wasting so much time. She should have left the moment she finished making the first arrow. Rin studied her expression for a few seconds before she nodded.

"I can see you have made up your mind. Follow me, I will lead you to Inuyasha,"

* * *

Kagome held her breath as she watched Inuyasha's body twist and contort as he struggled to withstand his transformation for as long as possible. The miasma around them didn't lighten, and she noticed how labored his breathing had become. How long would he last? How long until she would have to fight him?

Her whirling thoughts kept her on her toes as she watched him intently. His red eyes glowed from behind the purple curtain of miasma, but he did not look like he had lost himself completely yet.

"Ka...gome, run!" she heard him command, his voice muffled from behind his hand. Kagome watched him for a moment before she shook her head.

"No, not now. Not like this," she stressed, feeling her own demonic power heighten from within the miasma, and yet she did not feel any discomfort. Her power was not trying to consume her, it merely ran through her more strongly. Feeling far more confident than she should, Kagome slowly began to approach the half demon.

"Inuyasha, you can beat this. I know you can," Kagome added in confidence when she noticed the shock in his glowing eyes. His body turned away once she was within arms reach, but Kagome refused to give up. She would not abandon him here.

She brought up a clawed hand as she moved to caress his cheek, but it was quickly swatted away. Kagome jerked her hand back in surprise before she felt blood trickle down her palm. Unclenching her fingers she spotted a cut on her palm. Had he scratched her that quickly? She hadn't even seen him move.

Suddenly her inner confidence began to leave her as she cradled her palm to her chest, but then straightened when she heard a growl emit from Inuyasha's throat. He turned to face her again, and she gasped when she noticed that the man she knew was gone. No remnants of Inuyasha's soul were left in his eyes. All she saw were hunger and rage.

"Inuyasha...?" she whispered, but the demon before her merely growled louder in return to her plea before he cracked his knuckles. Kagome's expression turned from worry to anger as she growled in return, the angry sound that tore from her throat alien even to her own ears.

He answered her challenge with a hiss before he lunged for her with his arm outstretched towards her neck. She easily evaded his attack, finding his speed rather sluggish compared to hers. Where had that speed from before come from? He growled in frustration before he whirled around and made another jump for her.

Kagome felt the demonic power within her surge through her system as she flipped her body over his head and grabbed hold of the back of his shirt. "I've got you," she remarked darkly, "you should give up now," she added, but Inuyasha merely turned at lightening speed and took hold of her wrists.

Her golden eyes widened in surprise, her expression alone giving away her shock at his sudden spurt of speed. A large grin cracked half of his face before he drew up his other arm and readied his claws for the attack.

Kagome struggled against him, but no matter how much strength she exerted she could not get free. She felt the presence of Sesshomaru in her mind, and could practically hear his growl of rage ringing in her ears as his half brother dug his clawed hand into her stomach.

Kagome choked suddenly at the pain that blinded her eyes, and fell slack in Inuyasha's grip as he pulled his hand back out. She shuddered as he let her go and she tumbled to the ground, her blood quickly pooling around her body as her vision began to blur. A few silver strands fell into her line of vision, and she watched as the color rapidly faded back to its original raven color.

Inuyasha went down on his knees as he surveyed her with those unrecognizable eyes before he bared his fangs at her with a deadly smile. She felt her body begin to shake as shock took over her system, and all she could do was stare up at him like frightened prey.

As if sensing her fear, an agreeing snort quickly followed as Inuyasha roughly took hold of her hair and repositioned her body so that she was lying on her back. Her body pulsed in protest as Kagome let out a pained breath, but she refused to cry out.

He grinned at her stubbornness, and roughly cupped her chin as his claws wound around her neck. He planned to suffocate her, Kagome could understand that clearly enough. She stared up at him defiantly as she weakly grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pry it off. Her strength was laughable compared to his at the moment, and she felt what little strength she had left dissipate faster as more blood seeped out of her stomach wound.

"Inuyasha!" a woman's voice screamed, and the half demon quickly turned before he growled in outrage. Kagome could not turn to see who had called out, but they were important enough to distract him. With a quick motion, Kagome twisted his arm and his claws dislodged from her neck reflexively. He snarled at her and made another move towards her, but a purified arrow shot mere inches in between their heads and took them both by surprise.

They turned to see Kikyo standing in front of the door, and Kagome's eyes widened when she spotted another woman by her side.

"Rin...?" Kagome murmured, confused. The cinnamon eyed beauty at her cousin's side sent her a small smile before she made her way over to Kagome. She recognized the woman from the flashbacks she had been having of her past life. She was the mirror image of the Rin she had known back then.

"Kagome, you're hurt. I was hoping we would have gotten here before something like this happened," the woman murmured, her long brown hair framing her mature features as she bent by her side and rested her hand against Kagome's stomach. She felt her stomach grow warm for a moment before the feeling disappeared and Rin took her hand back. Kagome's vision gradually began to return, and it was then that she noticed a pair of wings on Rin's back.

They were tucked in behind her, but there was no denying that the white feathered wings were attached to her shoulder blades.

"I couldn't heal your wounds, but I was able to stop your soul from leaving your body. I'm sure Sesshomaru's blood within you will take care of the rest," Rin added before she turned to glance back at Kikyo, "do you need my help with Inuyasha?" she asked the other priestess.

"No, get Kagome out of here. We need her alive if we want to have any chance against Naraku," Kikyo replied, "Leave Inuyasha to me," she added as she knocked another arrow on her bow. The half demon growled angrily at her, Kagome easily forgotten as he rushed towards Kikyo.

"Kikyo! Get out of the way!" Kagome screamed, and let out a groan when her stomach pulsed painfully.

"Kagome! Don't strain yourself!" Kikyo scolded before a warm smile softened her features, "You always seem to underestimate what I am capable of,"

She loosened her hold on her arrow and threw her weapons aside just as Inuyasha roughly grabbed for her neck and hoisted her a few feet off the ground.

"Kikyo!" Kagome screamed as she struggled to get up to help her, but Kikyo held up a hand to stop her.

"What did I just finish telling you?" Kikyo bit out with a glare before she looked back at Inuyasha, "If you really want to kill me, then go ahead," she commanded, and the half demon hesitated.

"Do you think you're stronger in this form, Inuyasha?" Kikyo hissed, "is this how you want to be remembered? As a thoughtless brute intent on killing everything in his sight? Was all the training we've been doing to prevent something like this from happening a complete waste?" she questioned sharply as the half demon growled helplessly at her before he tightened his hold around her neck.

She didn't even flinch with the added pressure, but her glare turned deadly.

"I know you're in there, Inuyasha. You may feel like you are no longer in control, but you are. Show everyone here how strong you've become on your own – without this demonic side," she ordered, and Kagome noticed in surprise how the red began to fade from Inuyasha's eyes. He growled back, and then bit his lower lip until his fangs punctured the sensitive skin. A single stream of blood dripped down both sides of his chin before he let out an angered snarl.

Kagome watched in amazement as Inuyasha slowly lowered Kikyo back on the ground and let her go before he fell to his knees at her feet. Kikyo paused for a moment before she ran a hand through his silver bangs and kneeled in front of him.

"I knew you could do it," she murmured before she cupped his face and forced him to look at her. Kagome watched as a faint blush coated his cheeks before he turned his gaze away from hers sadly. His gaze fell on Kagome before his eyes widened. He hurriedly broke out of Kikyo's hold and ran to her side.

"Kagome – I...I...I did this..." he finished in disappointment as he grimaced at the sight of her gripping the part of her stomach where he had hurt her, "I should have been able to fight off Naraku's miasma. I should have protected you, not hurt you. If Kikyo hadn't come, if she hadn't stopped me like she always does, I could have – I would have – How can you ever forgive me for this?" he growled before he hid his gaze behind his bangs as his arms shook at his sides in anger.

"But you did stop," Kagome murmured, "and the wound will heal soon – look! It already looks ten times better than it did!" she assured him as she moved her hand so that he could see her stomach. The bleeding had stopped and a fresh layer of skin had grown underneath her tattered shirt.

"Sesshomaru's blood has taken affect," Rin smiled happily before she took hold of Kagome's hand, "now we must hurry, Kagome! If we don't, my soul could very well be in danger of getting stuck in limbo forever,"

"Stuck in limbo?" Kagome asked as Rin stood and spread open her beautiful white wings.

"Yes, for I am only a spirit – a fragment of myself. Only half of my soul was reincarnated in this time," she murmured, "and I won't be able to join the living half until she makes it past her sixteenth birthday – the age that I was killed five hundred years ago,"

* * *

Rin felt her leg muscles begin to burn as she struggled to keep up her fast pace with Hakudoshi in her arms. The baby was cuddled against her chest as he continued to hold onto strands of her hair in his tiny fist. It was as if he was trying to comfort her, and Rin was grateful for his support.

She knew that it would be naïve to think that Naraku would have let her go with Hakudoshi in her possession, and she was right. Only seconds after she made it into the underground tunnels she noticed a couple of guards come in after her. They dragged their feet across the ground as they ran, and their movements were spastic and uneven as they hurried after her. She could only conclude that they were injured, and that pushed her drive to escape even more.

_You're almost there, just a little further_, a young boy's hushed voice assured her in her head. Her eyes widened slightly at the sound before she glanced down at the baby in her arms. He looked up at her with eyes far older than his body gave him credit for, and she knew instantly that his voice had been the one in her head.

"A little further until what?" she asked in between breathes as she glanced back worriedly at the guards still chasing after them. The baby smiled up at her silently before his voice entered her mind once more,

_Until I come to save you_, he replied confidently, and Rin smiled slightly before she gave a start when an exit brightened their path. It was just an small opening above ground, but Rin felt a wave of excitement rush through her as she quickened her pace. The end was near! She even allowed herself a laugh or two as relief washed over her, but it was quickly taken away when she noticed that another guard stood there. He appeared to be waiting for her, and she immediately slid to a stop. She collapsed onto the ground as she struggled to calm her fluttering heart.

She hugged Hakudoshi to her front as the guards behind them caught up and quickly blocked her path as well. As they circled the two Rin tightened her hold around Hakudoshi before she hunched over him defensively and hid him in the curve of her tiny body.

She heard the guards unsheathe their weapons, and shut her eyes when the sound of their breathing as they slowly approached became as loud as drums. The sound overtook her, overwhelmed her, and she struggled to keep her composure. She would not cry, no matter how scary the situation was. She would be strong, just like Sesshomaru. She kept them shut for a good few seconds before she gathered enough courage to open them once more.

The sound of loud breathing had disappeared and she turned around to spot the guards lying motionless on the ground. Amidst the bodies was the sight of a familiar boy in a kimono with white hair.

"Hakudoshi!" Rin exclaimed happily as the demon turned at the sound of her voice.

"Told you I'd come back," he replied with a slight smirk before his expression grew serious when he spotted the baby in her arms, "you retrieved him," he observed before he approached them and extended his arms forward.

"Give him to me," he commanded, and Rin outstretched the baby towards her friend, but the baby's fist was still tangled painfully in her hair.

"Hakudoshi..." Rin murmured warningly, but the baby would not let go of his death grip on her hair.

"I see, so you're still faithful to him," Hakudoshi snarled at the baby, "I should have known housing his heart inside of you would have affected you like this,"

"'His'?" Rin asked as she brought the baby back up against her once more to gaze down at his violet eyes. _Tell me what you're thinking,_ she begged him through her thoughts. Why now would he not want to join with his other half?

_Naraku still has control over me. If I join with him now, we will never be free_, he replied solemnly. _He does not realize how powerful Naraku's influence is on me, even now. If we were to rejoin, then Naraku would have full control of us_, he explained.

Rin struggled to think of something to say before she paused when the older Hakudoshi let out a pained breath.

"I didn't realize you were desperate enough to hide Naraku's influence over you by using Rin as your accomplice," he scowled, and Rin jolted slightly at his oddly fitting comment, "He's always prevented me from becoming a whole being after I was split in two five hundred years ago. He doesn't want me to be as powerful as I was then, so he put his heart inside one to make sure that if we did rejoin, he'd still have some control,"

"But how did you...?"

"I can read your mind," he replied, "much like that half of me can communicate with you telepathically," he added while inclining his head towards the baby in her arms.

"If that's true, can't you just take Naraku's heart out and destroy it?" Rin asked as she glanced at the baby. He merely stared back at her blankly.

"Naraku has too much control over it. Perhaps if he were in a weakened enough state his heart could be released, but not now," Hakudoshi replied surely.

"Then let's go find Sesshomaru and Kagome. They can weaken Naraku for sure, I just know it!"

"You still hold such faith in them," Hakudoshi murmured thoughtfully, "just what is it about them that makes you so confident that they will come for you?" he asked curiously.

"Because they love me," Rin shrugged with a smile.

"Love? That's it?" Hakudoshi sounded unconvinced.

"Yup! It's the same reason I saved you," Rin beamed as she looked at the baby in her arms, "because I love you!" she giggled while she glanced back at the boy a few feet in front of her. Hakudoshi's cheeks flushed slightly at her declaration, before he cleared his throat sheepishly and he shook his head.

"You can't mean that,"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have risked my life to save your other half if I didn't. I knew that bringing him to you would make you happy, so I did it. I want to see you happy, so there's no other explanation except that I love you!" she reasoned as she continued to grin at him.

"You know, you're far too nice for your own good," Hakudoshi scolded, but smiled at her anyway, "let's go find your precious Sesshomaru-sama,"

* * *

A/N: That's the end for now folks! Look for the next update soon (hopefully)!


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